5 Best Sights in Avebury, The South

Surrounding part of Avebury village, the world's largest stone circles are one of England's most evocative prehistoric monuments—not as famous as Stonehenge, but all the more powerful for their lack of commercial exploitation. The stones at Avebury were erected between 2850 and 2200 BC, about the same time as the better-known monument. As with Stonehenge, the purpose of this stone circle has never been ascertained, although it most likely was used for similar ritual purposes. Unlike Stonehenge, however, there are no certain astronomical alignments at Avebury, at least none that have survived. The main site consists of a wide, circular ditch and bank, about 1,400 feet across and more than half a mile around. Entrances break the perimeter at roughly the four points of the compass, and inside stand the remains of three stone circles. The largest one originally had 98 stones, although only 27 remain. Many stones on the site were destroyed centuries ago, especially in the 14th century when they were buried for unclear reasons, possibly religious fanaticism. Others were later pillaged in the 18th century to build the thatched cottages you see flanking the fields. You can walk around the circles, a World Heritage site, at any time; early morning and early evening are recommended. As with Stonehenge, the summer solstice tends to draw the crowds.

More than 300 feet long and one of the largest and most impressive Neolithic chambered tombs in Britain (though only about 50 people are buried here), the barrow was built around 3650 BC. You can explore the site and enter the tomb, which was used as a burial chamber for more than 1,000 years before the main passage was filled in and the front entrance blocked with sarsen boulders around 2000 BC. It has an elevated position with a great view of Silbury Hill and the surrounding countryside.

Four miles west of Avebury, Cherhill Down is a prominent hill carved with a vivid white horse and topped with a towering obelisk. The horse, the second oldest chalk "white horse" in Wiltshire, is one of a number of hillside etchings in the county, all but two of which date back no further than the late 18th century. This one was put there in 1780 to indicate the highest point of the downs between London and Bath. The views from the top are worth the half-hour climb. The best view of the horse is from A4, on the approach from Calne (from the west).

Rising 130 feet and comparable in height and volume to the roughly contemporaneous Egyptian pyramids, Europe's largest man-made mound was built around 2400 BC. Though there have been periodic excavations of the mound since the 17th century, its original purpose remains unknown. The viewing area, less than 1 mile east of Avebury, is open only during daylight hours, but there's no direct access to the mound itself.

This 1½-mile path was once a prehistoric processional way leading to the stone circles at Avebury. It was lined with 100 standing stones spaced 80 feet apart. However, only the stones on the half mile nearest the main monument survive intact. The lost stones are marked with concrete obelisks.