Avebury

by

Every English village that respects itself has a village green. Avebury would certainly be among the frontrunners in a competition for the most beautiful village green. How many villages have a megalithic stone circle in the middle of the village? In the Monty Python sense, the village idiot sits on the village green, but ancient stones are rare there.
Houses, shops and cafés nestle against the stones, and at first glance you could almost forget that you are at one of the most important prehistoric sites in Europe.

Jedes englische Dorf, das etwas auf sich hält, hat einen Dorfanger. In einem Wettbewerb um den schönsten Dorfanger würde Avebury sicher einen der vorderen Plätze belegen. Wer hat schon einen Dorfanger mit einem megalithischen Steinkreis mitten im Dorf? Bei Monty Python sitzt zwar der Dorftrottel auf dem Dorfanger, aber uralte Steine sind dort eher selten.
Häuser, Geschäfte und Cafés schmiegen sich an die Steine, und auf den ersten Blick könnte man fast vergessen, dass man sich an einer der bedeutendsten prähistorischen Fundstellen Europas befindet.


Avebury is a stone circle you can touch. Siri and Selma love to sit on the stones, which are up to four metres high. From up there, they tell us that the stone circle was built between 2850 and 2200 BCE and that one of the largest henge monuments in Europe was created at the end. Our two fairies wonder what the topping-out ceremony looked like then. ‘Speaking of ancient history,’ they continued, ’Avebury has much older things to offer, such as the West Kennet Long Barrow, a grave that is about a thousand years older than the stone circle.’

Avebury ist ein Steinkreis zum Anfassen. Siri und Selma lieben es, auf den bis zu vier Meter hohen Steinen zu sitzen. Von oben erzählen sie uns, dass seit 2850 BCE bis etwa 2200 BCE an diesem Steinkreis gebaut wurde und am Ende eines der größten Henge-Monumente Europas entstand. Wie wohl das Richtfest ausgesehen hat, fragen sich unsere beiden Feen. “Wo wir gerade von alten Geschichten sprechen“, fuhren sie fort, “Avebury hat noch viel Älteres zu bieten, wie z.B. das West Kennet Long Barrow, ein Grab, das etwa tausend Jahre älter ist als der Steinkreis hier“.


The area around Avebury has the largest concentration of megalithic monuments in Europe. There is the West Kennet Avenue with a hundred pairs of menhirs and the Silbury Hill, and as we approached Avebury, we saw menhirs standing everywhere in the landscape. Selma said this is where the earth was acupunctured. Legend has it that the stones were erected by a giant over 4000 years ago to protect the land.
As you can see, Avebury is a gem for lovers of mystical history and Celtic mysteries.

Die Gegend um Avebury hat die größte Dichte an Megalithmonumenten in Europa. Es gibt dort die West Kennet Avenue mit einhundert Menhirpaaren und den Silbury Hill, und als wir uns Avebury näherten, sahen wir überall Menhire in der Landschaft stehen. Selma meinte, dass hier die Erde akupunktiert wurde. Die Legende besagt, dass die Steine vor über 4000 Jahren von einem Riesen aufgestellt wurden, um das Land zu schützen. Ihr merkt schon, Avebury ist ein Juwel für Liebhaber mystischer Geschichte und keltischer Geheimnisse.


What we particularly liked about Avebury was that it is not kept sterile like Stonehenge, but is alive. Siri and Selma, who were better prepared than us, had colourful ribbons on which they had written their most secret wishes, in fairy writing of course, and which they wanted to tie to the branches of the large copper beeches at the stone circle. These beeches are not just any beeches, they explained to us, but rather the beeches that inspired Tolkien to create the Ents in ‘The Lord of the Rings’. In the fairy language of Siri and Selma, these are the Onodrin, the tree creatures with whom they can speak.
It is a living tradition in England, not only in Avebury, to tie ribbons to the branches of special trees to make wishes come true.

Was uns an Avebury besonders gefiel, war, dass es nicht steril wie Stonehenge gehalten wird, sondern lebendig ist. Siri und Selma, die besser vorbereitet waren als wir, hatten bunte Bänder dabei, auf die sie ihre geheimsten Wünsche geschrieben hatten, natürlich in Feenschrift, und die sie an den Ästen der großen Rotbuchen am Steinkreis binden wollten. Diese Buchen seien nicht irgendwelche Buchen, erklärten sie uns, sondern hätten Tolkien zu den Ents in “Der Herr der Ringe” inspiriert. In der Feensprache von Siri und Selma sind das die Onodrin, jene Baumwesen, mit denen sie sprechen können.
Es ist eine lebendige Tradition in England, nicht nur in Avebury, Bänder an Äste besonderer Bäume zu knüpfen, damit sich Wünsche erfüllen.


It is fascinating how people are still drawn to the stones. For centuries, they have made the pilgrimage to this place to make offerings, seek good luck or simply feel the healing energy of the stones or, like our dear Dina, photograph them.

Es ist faszinierend, wie sich die Menschen immer noch zu den Steinen hingezogen fühlen. Seit Jahrhunderten pilgern sie zu diesem Ort, um Opfer darzubringen, Glück zu suchen oder einfach nur, um die heilende Energie der Steine zu spüren oder, wie unsere liebe Dina, um sie zu fotografieren.


With warm greeting from the stormy coast
Mit herzlichen Grüßen von der heute stürmischen Küste

The Fab Four of Cley
🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂



© text and illustrations, Hanne Siebers & Klausbernd Vollmar, Cley next the Sea 2024

144 thoughts

    • Dear Pete

      thank you so much for your kind words.
      We prefer Avebury to Stonehenge too. It has a much more pleasant atmosphere and it’s not as touristy.

      We didn’t turn to Stone Circle freaks but got the idea for blogging about Avebury as in our last post, some visitors mentioned that they hadn’t heard about it.

      Do you have quite a wind as well? Here at the sea, it’s very windy since yesterday evening.
      We wish you a happy week
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

    • Thank you very much, dear Laurence 🙏 🙏

      Avebury is our favourite place as well. We were lucky with the light, it was changing all the time.

      Did you get my mail about N. Shakespeare’s book?
      We wish you and Jackie an easy week
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Like

    • Thanks, dear Fraggle.

      Well, Stonehenge and Avebury have both their fascination. Stonehenge is more magnificent and architectural whereas Avenbury is more magical and mystical. They are not far apart from each other.

      Keep well
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  4. Dear friends,
    My thoughts have been with you this weekend. How are you coping with the storm? It made it to Norwegian tv yesterday.

    I have never been to Avebury although I made it to Stonehenge many years ago. Avebury looks like a magical place to be, especially in winter with less visitors. I wonder how the people in the village copes with living in such a historical place amongst the famous monuments.
    B&B and souvenir shops must be a good way to embrace the tourism?
    The first photo depicts several identical monuments, obviously different to the bigger stones?

    Take care, stay dry and warm.
    Klem
    Per Magnus x

    Liked by 5 people

    Reply

    • Our dear friend Per Magnus

      The storm has been quite strong since yesterday evening but we are used to such winds. Fortunately, we have no damage to the house and grounds. It’s more severe on the west coast. Here only a tree fell down and blocked one of our country roads nearby.

      The identical concrete pylons mark places where originally stones were standing. We read that Alexander Keiller (heir of the famous Keiller marmalade business) with his friends placed them there. What we see of the Avebury stone circles nowadays goes back to their excavations and restorings in the 1930s. Keiller was an aerial photographer and archaeologist.

      There is a cosy pub in a perfect situation and B&Bs as well. We suppose the locals don’t care much about the tourists and they take the stones for granted.

      We hope you and your son are well and are enjoying this time of the year. We love it.

      KLEM
      XXXX
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

    • Liebe Uschi, lieber Herbert

      toll, dass euch Dinas Bilder so gut gefallen und herzlichen Dank für euren Kommentar.
      Avebury ist ‘merry old England’ vom Feinsten.

      Euch auch alles Liebe für den zweiten Advent
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Like

  7. Love the light in these photos. Especially the last one. And those roots of the Beech tree are fascinating. I hope it is still standing after this dreadful wind we have had this weekend. it is still very blowy here today! Hang onto those fairy girls!

    Liked by 4 people

    Reply

    • Dear Jude

      It’s still quite windy here as well. Yes, the roots of these copper beech trees are fascinating indeed. We hope these trees will survive.
      The light was changing all the time and gave Dina the chance to go for the best light.

      We had to bind our fairy girls on a leash when going out so they didn’t get blown away. Actually, they don’t mind, they just stay and read and want to make cookies now.

      Thanks and have a cosy time
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Like

    • It’s lowing a hoolie on your coast today, Jude!
      Dina-Hanne is very worried about the newborn seal pups on Blakeney Point. Her seal shift was cancelled today because of the storm
      Do you know that we, well, your Siri and Selma puppets, are still guiding us when we are on the road? The puppets are on the dashboard, holding hands and keeping their fairy fingers crossed for no oncoming traffic on all the small bridges we have to cross.
      Sending you lots of love and fayrie dust,
      Siri and Selma 🧚🏻‍♀️💫✨🌟💥🧚🏻‍♀️

      Liked by 1 person

  10. Gorgeous photos and I love the expression that the earth was acupunctured! Perhaps they were also concerned about the earth’s well being! Also, did you say that Siri and Selma spoke to the trees? As a dedicated tree hugger it is good to know that speaking to trees is being practised by those younger than me! 🤔😊

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

  11. Avebury is magical, a mystical wonderland and a place I’d love to revisit. Love your photos, Hanne, they are great as always, capturing the essence of the place and the story too, so well written.

    I know you have read Bill Bryson’s The Road to Little Dribbling because Hanne recommended the book to me. I was appalled reading about his visit to Avebury. What a grumpy old man he is!
    He complained that he was fleeced at Avebury stone circle, shelling out £32 in the famous Wiltshire village before he even saw the stones – and without even getting a cup of tea for his cash. That is quite an achievement, since the Avebury stone circle has NO ADMISSION charge. It costs nothing to walk around the high earth banks that enfold the village, to stand below sinister sarsen stones that resemble frozen giants, or walk to nearby Silbury Hill and see the closest thing neolithic Britons ever built to an Egyptian pyramid.

    We don’t hear that much about Bill Bryson today. I she still living in North Norfolk?

    Kram
    Annalena xx

    Liked by 4 people

    Reply

    • Hi Annalena,
      Bill Bryson left North Norfolk to live in Yorkshire and now he lives in Hanover, New Hampshire.
      You are so right, he got it wrong about Avebury and National Trust, something he must have regretted very much.
      We loved being in Avebury! The immense stone circle, much wider than Stonehenge, consists of a deep ditch, a huge circular embankment and stones that are dauntingly massive. This is one of Europe’s great archaeological sites, but we thought, what makes it so utterly unique is the enigmatic decision by medieval villagers to live in the middle of it. The quaint village amid the stones makes for strange meetings across time – from the Red Lion, we could spot creepy grey sentinels as we had our lunch. Somehow, we feel blessed not to have such a stone circle spread around our village.
      Much love and fayrie dust to you,
      Siri and Selma 🧚🏻‍♀️💫✨🌟💥🧚🏻‍♀️

      Liked by 3 people

    • Dearest Annalena

      Bill Bryson got it all wrong. There is no entrance fee to Avebury and if you are a member of the NT you don’t even have to pay for parking. He got criticised for this wrong information in his book by all the big UK papers. More so he wanted a Disneyfication of Avebury when asking for signs to the stones (you can’t miss them, as you know). Indeed, he became a grumpy old man who probably has never been to Avebury.

      Bill Bryson is out of fashion. We regularly got his books donated for our book corner. We read he moved away and lives in New Hamshire or some other place in the US now.

      Thank you very much for liking our post. It’s very much appreciated.
      With lots of love
      KRAM
      XXXX
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  13. Why are the Brits so obsessed with stones? Did the stones come from space? I mean, it’s possible the first man sat on one of those rocks while waiting for a taxi back to his home planet. It’s an amazing heritage, heavy enough to stay there forever.

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

    • There is even a special stone under the coronation chair of the Queen or King of the UK, it’s the Stone of Destiny.
      There are stone circles and standing stones all over Europe. But in England, we have most of them in a small area and they are well preserved. England was one of the centres of the megalithic culture that used these stones for their special places.

      Thanks and cheers
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Liked by 2 people

    • We are not into travelling too. It has lost its magic. But we love little journeys like to Avebury and Stonehenge. We don’t travel far by plane or ship any more. That has lost its fun.

      Liked by 1 person

    • Thank you very much, dear Darlene. We are used to such storms and everything is secured. Except that a big tree fell on one of our country roads nearby there was no damage here.

      Thanks for your comment. Avebury is worth visiting. Maybe one day you’ll see it.

      Have a cosy pre-Christmas week
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

    • Good evening, our dear friend Rebecca

      We always love travelling to Avebury. It’s a place to relax and meditate and bind some ribbons with wishes on the branches of this magnificent fairy tree.

      Lots of love and hugs to all the Budds
      XXXX
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Liked by 2 people

  18. Wonderful light in Avebury! A very special place I understand, and so beautifully photographed. Interesting story it is (and stones were very important here in Sweden too). I have a favourite among these beautiful photos – the stone and the cow (it is a cow?). The magical light and the lines in it just draw you in…and it doesn’t let go.

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

    • Dear Ann-Christine

      During my studies of Nordic literature, my course visited rune stones in Sweden. The much younger rune stones have a magic as well, haven’t they?

      The light was special as we had changeable weather.
      It’s the stone and the magic dog – Cerberus? Or did the Black Shuck follow us from Norfolk?

      Keep well
      Klausbernd
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Like

  20. Oh my gosh, the area is so beautiful! I would love to have a Henge like this near my home. The stones have beautiful textures on them too, thanks for sharing! ❤️🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

    • Dear John

      We wouldn’t mind having a henge like this near our home – but not too near because of tourism.

      Stonehenge was privately owned and the owner celebrated parties there with guys serving in white flowing garments. The owner bought it for £ 6600 because his wife said at the breakfast table “Wouldn’t it be nice to own Stonehenge?” When the relationships deteriorated he donated it to the English public in 1915.

      In Germany, there were many smaller stone circles at the Extern Steine, an ancient monument. One of the leading fascists got them transported and placed them in his garden.

      Unfortunately there are no stone stone circles for sale right now 😉

      Thanks and wishing you a wonderful week
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Liked by 2 people

  21. I’ve never been but Avebury looks beautiful. Is it comparable with Carnac in Brittany? I don’t know if you’ve been? I wanted to visit when we were visiting friends last year but we didn’t have enough time. I especially like that last photo but they’re all lovely. I hope the seal pups are ok. No place to hide, for them!

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

  22. Lovely stones, so much better than Stone Henge with the fence around.
    I did however see them also without the fence. That was great, well, long time ago.
    I love the Avebury stones as they are so accessible and also big.😀
    Thanks for showing us.
    Love from Ute

    Liked by 4 people

    Reply

    • Good afternoon, dear Ute

      Yes, we know Stonehenge from the times when you could touch the stones there as well.

      Thanks for liking our post and especially Dina’s pictures.
      We wish you an easy week
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Liked by 2 people

  23. Funny family story. It was back in the early 70s. We made a family visit to see the stones. As we were exploring the circle, Jean suddenly found her feet getting damp from the early morning dew. It was then she realised she still had her bedroom slippers on.

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

    • Dear David

      great story that made us smile – actually, that could have happened to Siri as well. She is more in her head than in her feet.

      Thanks for sharing
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Like

  24. I am trying to imagine waking up in one of the houses around the Village Green . . . what a magical experience being part of one’s life! Stones . . . writing from Australia I guess it is also natural to think of similar on Easter Island in the Pacific . . . thank you

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

    • There are some beautiful houses with a view of the stones. We agree it must be great waking up with such a view. Maybe it triggers special dreams as well.

      The enormous statues of the Easter Islands are similar to the standing stones and as much a riddle of what they are there for.

      Thanks for commenting
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Liked by 2 people

    • There are many other stone circles all over the UK and Europe. There was a Europe-wide megalithic culture building stone circles and erecting standing stones. But Avebury is exceptionally huge and Stonehenge is especially well preserved.

      Thanks for commenting
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  27. Oh, I love the final photograph, with the trees! Seasonally perfect! Isn’t it more appropriate that people can walk around the standing stones, touch them, interact with them, than have them cordoned off. They are a human creation, part of the social history of the area and it is wonderful that they continue in that manner.

    Liked by 4 people

    Reply

    • Good afternoon, dear Paddy

      We absolutely agree with you. It’s a totally different feeling going around touching the stones in Avebury than seeing them behind a cordon at Stonehenge. We hope we radiated our love for Avebury.

      Thanks and Cheers
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Liked by 2 people

  28. Stonehenge is widely known yet not so with Avebury. I wonder why. At any rate, your post was interesting and informative. Your photos are excellent. I especially loved the one of the last stone with the animal (dog or cow?) in the distance. The light in that photo is beautiful.

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

    • Dear Terry

      It helps the magic of Avebury very much to be less known than Stonehenge. Quite a lot of people complained about how Stonehenge is presented nowadays. National Trust and English Heritage want to give these tourists a chance of a direct experience of the stones who reject the Disneyfication of Stonehenge.

      The animal behind the last stone is a dog – Siri thinks it’s Cerberus.

      Thank you for liking Dina’s photography
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Liked by 2 people

    • Guten Tag, liebe Martina

      Siri und Selma spannen viele Geschichten als wir in Avebury waren. Sie sahen dort Feen tanzen und waren gar nicht mehr zu stoppen, sich Kitschigstes auszumalen, bis es ihnen selbst zu viel war. Jetzt beschäftigen sie sich gerade mit Licht und Schatten in dem Steinkreis von Avebury und studieren u.a. Dinas Bilder dazu.

      Das freut uns, dass dir diese Post gefällt, zumal uns Avebury am Herzen liegt.

      Habe eine gemütlich angenehme Woche und danke fürs Kommentieren
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

    • Dear GP

      There are many traces of history in England. Well, England is conservative – or are we conservative because we find these historical artefacts attractive? We see ourselves as open to the modern and post-modern world – but probably that’s a wrong self-image. Thanks for making us aware of our conservative attitude. Oh dear, Kb and Siri don’t want to be like this. But you are right, there is no doubt about it.

      We wish you a cosy week
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Liked by 2 people

  31. Interesting post! Loved all the folklore and customs… I’m a fan of Tolkien and Lord of the Rings and it’s interesting to learn this is where the Ents come from. Really fascinating to think about where these gigantic monoliths came from, how they transported, their purpose, what it was like back in those days.

    We visited Stonehenge in the summer of 2023 but it was disappointing that they had it roped off with guards. But I understand why. Next time I come back…want to visit the Devon area… I’ll be sure to stop by Avebury 😎👍

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    • Good morning, dear Darryl

      Indeed, Stonehenge is different. There, you can imagine that the henge was a building. Avebury has a more ancient radiation and you can make direct contact with the stones. We don’t know the purpose of the stone circles as well as of the West Kennet Avenue.

      You will love Avebury. Thanks for commenting
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 :-):-)

      Liked by 2 people

  32. Oh, wie schön. Da geht mir das Herz auf, bei solchen Steinen. Und Buchen, ich mag die Bäume sehr. Schön finde ich es, dass Menschen noch an Wünsche glauben und die Bänder dafür nutzen. Alles sehr feenhaft fein!!

    Liebe Grüße aus der Kemenate,

    Syntaxia

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    • Hi Syntaxia

      Diese Rotbuchen auf dem Wall sind beeindruckend. Der ganze Wall ist an dieser Stelle durchgewurzelt.
      Es ist erstaunlich, wie viele Menschen hier ihre Wunschbändchen anknüpfen. Wir sahen so etwas ebenfalls am Wishing Well, dem Wunschbrunnen von Cerne Abbas (Klausbernd schreibt darüber ausführlich in seinem Buch “Magisch Reisen: England”).

      Avebury ist besonders feenhaft in der Abendsonne.

      Mit lieben Grüßen in die Kemenate
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Like

    • Thank you, dear Steve. You are right, the dog on the crest of the hill is basic for the composition of that picture. And, of course, that the dog is so far away it’s like a ghost dog, like our Black Shuck here in Norfolk model for the Hound of Baskerville.

      Thanks and Cheers
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 :-):-)

      Like

  35. Dreamy images help set the mood with this post ~ I could see myself spending a lot of time on the village green soaking in the community, along with coffee and such history right out in front of me. It is incredible to be able to get a literal feel for one of the most important prehistoric sites in Europe. The ability to enjoy walking on the ground, which had such significance millenniums ago, is a perfect way to be inspired (and humbled). Celtic history is something I’ve always been fascinated with. I think being there around sunset is also a bit magical, and Dina’s photos capture such spirit (the stone adjacent to the hill and the last photo are moving). Definitely the place to be versus Stonehenge 😇!

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    • Good morning, dear Randall

      Avebury is especially fairylike in the evening light in winter. You can easily imagine a world like in Lord of the Rings or the Mabinogion or Celtic fairy tales here. Just have a drink and dream away sitting in the stone circle. You can do this here because it isn’t that touristy. When we were there for Kb’s birthday at the end of November, there were hardly any people around.

      One can imagine a lot here. Our imagination is mostly formed by what we have read about this time, mostly in historical novels or popular scientific literature. But that doesn’t matter as nobody knows what really happened here. We make it happen with our imagination – like Tolkien did with the Ents.

      Thank you very much for your comment and that you like Dina’s photography
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  37. Having read about Avebury it is definately on my to visit list those photos again are awesome and really show off the stones…it sounds such a lovely village to visit and soak up the history…Thank you for sharing, Klausbernd 🙂

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

  39. Superb post. Very informative, and beautifully photographed, as always. I visited Avebury many times when I lived and worked in the area during the late ’80s and early ’90s. While training for my somewhat brief marathon and half marathon career, I would jog from Wanborough to Avebury and hitchhike back. I’m fascinated by standing stones, barrows, et al. Are there still people hanging about the Avebury stones with divining rods to show you the energy coming from the stones? I never tried one, but it looked real enough. I quiver at the thought. 😉

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    • Dear John

      This time, we didn’t meet people with divining rods, but when we visited Avebury about five years ago, there was one guy with his rod. Indeed, it looked quite real when he showed us the energy lines. We don’t really know what to make of it.

      Kb mentioned Avebury in his book about ‘Magic Places in England’ and filmed there for Swiss TV many years ago. Of course, filming there attracts eccentrics. Some of them are into UFOs and tell you stories that this is an old kind of airport for UFOs. In this area, there are a lot of UFO groups active, telling stories of their sightings at the stone circles. We also met some women calling themselves witches, listening to Mother Earth with their ears on the stones. I also wanted to hear Mother Earth’s wisdom, but they told me that Mother Earth doesn’t talk to men. – Anyway, Avebury, like all the stone circles, is a meeting place of eccentrics.

      Thanks for commenting
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Liked by 2 people

  40. I stayed near Avebury when I was in grad school. I found it magical with cows grazing amongst the stones. I remember Stonehenge from when I was younger and it was was fully open and approachable. Vandals changed all that. Happy to see that Avebury is still much the same and enjoyed your post immensely.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    • Thank you very much, dear Cindy 🙏 🙏
      We didn’t know about the vandalism at Stonehenge. At Stonehenge as at Avebury, the biggest vandals were Christian fanatics and the farmers trying to get rid of the stones.

      We wish you a cosy pre-Christmas time
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  41. Thank you for such a thorough visual treatment of Avebury. Seeing a person standing next to a stone (I think I know who!), the buildings in the background, the beribboned beech tree, the closeups showing the effects of thousand of years of rain and sun – it really tells the story. I’m glad the site is so approachable and continues to function the way it has for longer than we probably know. The stone circles, ancient burial sites, and menhirs of Great Britain have always fascinated me. Well done!

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    • Good morning, dear Lynn

      The stones show their age, which gives them character. Knowing roughly how old they are makes it very special to touch them. And these fairy beeches are magical as well. They are nowadays part of the stone circle.

      There are many ancient sides around Avebury and Stonehenge. Siri thinks she once read that this is the world’s highest concentration of megalithic artefacts.

      Thanks for commenting and have a cosy pre-Christmas time
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Liked by 2 people

    • Good morning, dear Jennie

      When filming there many years ago, I stayed at a B&B directly next to the stones. I loved having breakfast with a full view of the stones every morning for a fortnight. One feels small and insignificant being in the stone circle from morning until evening.

      Thanks and wishing you a wonderful weekend
      Klausbernd
      and the rest of
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Liked by 2 people

    • Dear Linda

      They have been present for a long time, witnessing numerous visitors, from Druids to hippies and modern tourists.
      In a way, archaeologists make them speak.

      Thanks and keep well
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  47. Pingback: Solstice ~ An Unfading Memory | The Task at Hand

  48. I so much love this. My favorite pic is the monolith with the goat (sheep?) silhouetted in the background. And K, I entirely agree about the accessibility being imperative. I’m sure our ancient cousins didn’t go through all the labor of creating these spaces just to have them tribalized. But, deciders always have to decide, right? Thank you, four, for another Fabulous post.

    Liked by 2 people

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    • Thank you very much for your kind words 🙏

      In the background of the monolith is a dog – Cerberus or another mythological dog.

      Wishing you a happy, healthy and wonderful New Year
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Like

    • Thank you so much, dear Jane.
      Hanne really appreciated your kind words about her photography.

      Wishing you a wonderful New Year full of happy moments
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Like

    • Liebe Belana Hermine

      schön, dass dir unsere beiden Posts gefallen haben. Wir lieben Steinkreise und haben viele in England und Schottland besucht. Avebury und Stonehenge sind größten und bekanntesten. Zur Zeit der Megalithkulturen waren Steinkreise über ganz Europa verbreitet vom Mittelmeer bis zu den Orkneys und Shetland Inseln.

      Wir wünschen dir ein wunderschönes neues Jahr, bleibe gesund und fröhlich
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  56. Well, this ist amazing! Nein, doch lieber auf deutsch weiter. Wie sich die Kulte vermengen! Die begleitenden beiden Feen schließlich als Säulenheilige auf Menhiren. Das muß ein hübscher, aber auch etwas verwirrender Anblick gewesen sein. Ob es freilich Ents schätzen, wie eine Pariser Brücke behandelt zu werden, auch wenn es hier Bänder und keine sogenannten Liebesschlösser sind (was zu dieser Mode wohl der Dichter des “du bist min, ich bin din… verloren ist das Slüzzelin, du muoßt immer drinnen sin” gesagt hätte, der doch das Herz und nicht schnödes Metall meinte?), das wage ich nicht zu beurteilen. Mal die alte Weide draußen fragen. Ach nein, der alte Weidenmann war ja ein anderer!

    Ich war auf der Insel nie weiter als bis London und Oxford. Aber an der französischen Atlantikküste. Sah Obelix Fleißarbeit. Was dachten die Menschen, was fühlten sie bei derartigen Arbeit, behauen, schleppen, aufrichten? Immer die Suche nach Sinn…

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    Reply

    • Liebe Gerlint

      Wünsche sozusagen in Bäume zu knüpfen hat in England eine lange Tradition. Allerdings meistens an Brunnen, deswegen spricht man auch von wishing wells hier.

      Das erste deutsche Liebesgedicht ist wohl aus einer anderen Tradition kommend beeinflusst und zwar vom Islam, dessen Kultur die Kreuzfahrer faszinierte. Speziell im Sufismus bei Nizami und Attar waren solche Alltagsgedichte beliebt. Vom Vorhängeschloss haben die wohl nicht einmal geträumt. Obwohl die im Mittelalter aufkamen, aber riesengroß. Man sieht das heute bisweilen an alten Opferstöcken in Kirchen.

      Danke für deinen Kommentar
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Like

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