Avebury - megaliths & myths

"A lecture at the University of Bath will explore the theories and myths surrounding Avebury stone circle.

"In the lecture on Wednesday 24 February, Roger Vlitos will give an illustrated lecture that compares and contrasts the beliefs of those who manage the site, with others who claim it as
their traditional shrine."

More here - http://www.bath.ac.uk/news/2010/02/15/pl-avebury/

Pubs: The Who'd a Thought It


Well, who’d a thought it!

The Who’d a Thought It pub* is just off the A4 on the left-hand side of the road if heading towards Avebury from Marlborough (from Marlborough about 5 miles). The pub has a small bar and drinking area, and a nice little restaurant with an open fire. There's a sheltered beer garden at the back of the pub which is a pleasant place to sit when the weather's fine (though the garden furniture could do with a bit of an upgrade). Good food, beers and wine, and not too expensive. Probably the best ham, egg and chips to be had in the County of Wiltshire. Downside is the heating, and I spent a miserable hour or so in there one Christmastime with my hat and coat on because the radiators were turned off to 'economise'.

The Who’d a Thought It is just about close enough to Piggledene to be able to park at the pub and walk back there. In the opposite direction the sarsen drift at Lockeridge is about five minuets' drive away, and that road will also take you to Alton Priors and Alton Barnes, with a magnificent view of the Vale of Pewsey on the way. Alternatively, if you're heading directly for Avebury, once past the Lockeridge sarsen drift look out for a road on your right signposted for East Kennet. From the top of the hill this road will give you a lovely surprise view of Silbury in the distance and take you past footpaths leading to East Kennet Long Barrow.

* "Wiltshire County Council widened the A.4 in the early 1930s, in so doing demolishing an old row of cottages at George Bridge Overton. Also flattened were a number of cottages in Fyfield, together with the local pub, ‘The Fighting Cocks’. Lockeridge already had one pub ‘The Mason’s Arms’, now a private house. When the landlady heard that another was to be built next to Meux Cottage she remarked “Well, who’d a’thought it”. The name stuck."

From the PARISH OF OVERTON CUM FYFIELD AND EAST KENNETT booklet of 1987. More here -
http://www.upperkennetnews.co.uk/Heritage/VillageHeritage.htm#ABOUT_THIS_BOOKLET

Keiller's Avenue of horse chestnuts felled. Image credit Willow

Alexander Keiller's avenue of horse chestnuts felled


The Alexander Keiller avenue of horse chestnuts, which runs alongside the A4361 at Avebury, and which was planted by Keiller in 1937, has been felled (the trees are visible in the header photograph above). The National Trust said the trees had phytopthora (bleeding canker) and despite its efforts it was not possible to save them. A National Trust spokeswoman is reported as saying that the Trust will be, "...replacing them with lime trees which are well-suited to the area..." The horse chestnuts on the other side of the road are on private land and presumably will eventually also succumb to phytopthora and will also need to be cut down. If the proposed housing development on the former Bonds Garage site (visible on the right in the above photograph) is allowed to go ahead this will almost certainly mean that the new houses will be visible from the bank of the north-east quadrant of the Avebury Henge.

More here -
http://aveburymatters.blogspot.com/2009/01/north-east-quadrant-of-avebury-henge_17.html and here -
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/wiltshire/8491237.stm