The Circle

The Stones
It seems difficult to remember now, that forty years ago Avebury and its stone circle were almost unheard of. Only archeologists and hippies in search of some sort of mystical experience ever visited the place.
You could drive into the village, park for free in the little car park, and think it crowded if there were more that a dozen other visitors.

The Stones
Now things are very different. The National Trust charge an arm and a leg to park in a field on the edge of the village, and most of the visitors appeared to be more interested in finding ways to keep the kids amused than any kind of mysticism or archeological curiosity.
And there is nothing wrong with that. People relate to the stones in their own ways, and the site is big enough to absorb hundreds of visitors without feeling over-crowded.
In fact it is huge; Iʼd forgotten just how big it is and how impressive the banks and ditches are. Iʼm sure that on a misty autumn morning it would still be possible to feel somehow in touch with the original builders; on a busy afternoon in the school holidays, itʼs a bit more of a challenge.