Avebury
Created | Updated Jan 28, 2002
The Village
Avebury has many of the typical features of rural England including:
The Pub - The Red Lion
The pub is an attractive timber-framed building with a couple of small bars. It serves the usual drinks, some passable real ales, and serves food. It also does B&B with the tag-line 'The only bed and breakfast in a Stone Circle'.
The Church
St James's is a fascinating medieval church, originally of Anglo-Saxon foundation. Of particular interest are the arcades in the nave, the arches of which clearly show the remains of earlier Norman, and Anglo-Saxon work. There is a rood loft, a feature lost to many churches in England as a result of the reformation, and two hagioscopes!
The Manor House
The Manor, owned by the National Trust, is a large stone tudor building,typical of the landed gentry in southern England. It is still used as a family home, so visiting hours and access are restricted. Its worth a look round if you've the energy left after visiting the more important monuments.
Tourist Information
There are a couple of information centres/shops in the village, with the normal mix of trinkets, informative books, and post cards.
The Alexander Keiler Museum
The small museum houses artefacts from various excavations of Avebury stone circle. It is run by English Heritage, and a small charge is levied. The custodians are helpful and knowledgable, and are only to happy to answer any questions you have about the site. The museum has recently acquired the Great Barn - a very large thatched barn of some age - and is in the process of converting it.