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West Kennett LongbarrowLong Barrow
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| Just visited WKLB - again! (27.3.10) Quite a few people about and the path up the hill was surprisingly muddy. I noticed that the tree at the bottom of the hill which the 'offerings' are tied to has had most of its lower branches cut off which overhang the fance - to stop things being tied? Inside the barrow itself it was very wet with plenty of puddles and mud. A few 'offerings' were placed on nooks and crannies in the barrow. I never tire of visiting Avebury, the whole area is magical. Silbury Hill is out of this world, looking at it from the barrow is a wonderful experience. |
Posted by CARL 29th March 2010ce |
| This is one of my favourite sites. The size and scale of the longbarrow is breathtaking. I make a visit to Avebury once a year to see the henge, WKLB and Silbury hill. I call it my 'pilgrimage'. I have never had a problem with speeding cars etc as I park in the small layby at the bottom of the hill leading up to the barrow. There are usually 'offerings' to be found in the tomb and tied to the branches of the tree at the bottom of the hill near the layby. A truly fantastic place. I am planning a trip to the Orkneys this summer so it will be interesting to compare the tombs there against my two favourite so far - WKLB and Stoney Littleton. I will report back!! |
Posted by CARL 16th March 2010ce |
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I can't believe I haven't posted owt about (like the rhyme?) one of the grestest of our chambered tombs. I'm having a blitz on sites I've not posted fieldnotes about, me. Here goes. A few years ago we took our chances and crossed the A4 without being killed by some speed-freak with lowered suspension, wide tyres, and a big phallic exhaust. I suppose it makes them feel a little less inadequate. I'm turning into my dad. Anyway, our ancestors, who built WKLB had other things to worry about, like missing thigh bones, skulls, and other body bits. What a memorial to a collective of people. It makes you think about how graves and grave markers have developed over the milennia, yet the basics have remained the same: stone. Did the WKLB people have any form of "writing", and is the absence of markings on the sarsens proof of no "writing"? I know of the carvings on the Stonehenge sarsens, but wouldn't you think that such a huge monument as WKLB would have had some form of "words", symbolic or otherwise? Or was the memory of people in the form of ancestral stories, passed down through the generations? Perhaps telly and stuff has got in the way of our modern communication. It's an awe-inspiring site, with big stones, and an even bigger earthen mound, and great views. It's just below a ridge, so where was it supposed to be seen from? Marvellous. |
Posted by The Eternal 8th August 2009ce Edited 8th August 2009ce |
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One way to avoid the problems of parking on the A4 lay-by and risking your wordly belongings, is to walk to WKLB from the village of East Kennet. If you walk past the church (and the groovy house with the amazing wood carvings) and follow the bridle path, it takes about 15-20 mins and affords fabulous views of both East Kennet Long Barrow (on your left hand side) and Silbury. This way, you approach WKLB from the "front", walking up the field directly opposite. Excellent. When we visited last week, some idiot had chalked graffitti all over the stones. At least it was only chalk but it was still infuriating. Noticed the same thing at Woodhenge and was even more annoyed by the "peace and love" messages scrawled there. |
Posted by Vicster11th April 2008ce Edited 14th April 2008ce |
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We reached the longbarrow to find a small group of people reading the information board. I took photos like a woman possessed, desperate to take something back with me to North Wales, a decent set of pictures to reflect on when away from this most magnificent of places. It was thrilling to touch the stones again after so long, wonderful to stand in the small forecourt before walking once more into the dark, imposing chambers. Again, the structure of the place struck me through new eyes; the size of the rocks, the creation of this space, the awesome nature of the whole. It occurred to me that the stones appeared very much like the bones of the earth. Once again, memories of times past drifted through my mind, especially the last visit, which was strange and dark. I didn't want that memory to stay with me, but it persistently floated back, until a sudden trilling chirr and resonant, urgent wing beat broke the dark chambers' air. More squeaks, more wing beats, a dart of movement, and a swallow swooped out of the entrance, up the face of the forecourt stones, and into the night. A few moments later a rush of air signalled its return – they were nesting inside one of the chambers! I hid behind a large stone and watched them fly in and out, while Moth and Jane sat above the entrance to watch their unerring, acrobatic passage back and to the nest. We were the only people there, immersed in the magic of the muted night's colour and smells, the timelessness and atmosphere of the long barrow and its stones, the sounds of wind through grasses and swallows' wing beats and chirrs. The feeling of re-birth, renewal, regeneration and life filled the place, and any dark memories were chased away, to be replaced by light and airy vibes of positivity. This post appears as part of the weblog entry Return of the Native Part I
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Posted by treaclechops10th August 2006ce |
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28th June 2006 West Kennett Longbarrow was the 7th destination on this my first pilgrimmage from the city slums of the Big Smoke to the mystical, mythical West. I'd spent the morning at Uffington in the company of the White Horse et al, then it was back in the motor and back onto the M4 and off to Wiltshire... As other posts have alluded, the car park for WKLB is frequented by local bandits and there's no shortage of reminders in the form of rude, day-glo posters put up by the local fuzz. It would be easy to condemn this skullduggery as a product of modern times; but i couldn't help but speculate as to the comparable threats and dangers faced by the Ancients on their own sacred pilgrimmages and wondered if indeed there was a Neolithic equivalent of a Hoodie? So rather than a modern anomaly i came to view this threat as something that i probably shared with my forefathers and something that, undoubtedly like them too, consolodated the purpose of my journey. Another point to note is that on the lower reaches of path leading to the barrow there are sections where the nettles severely intrude on the walkway and, as such, leg protection is necessary or you'll probably find that you get stung. Avoid wearing mini-skirts! There is little point in me going into any detail about either the barrow itself or the panoramic views afforded from it - these are all described elsewhere. However, one thing that i must mention is the view to the south of the barrow. Normally overlooked in favour of the view northwest towards Silbury Hill, or east towards The Sancturay, i'd argue that, certainly at this time of the year, the view to the south is by far the most spectacular, inspiring and profound on offer. This has happened by chance it seems, as nature has conspired to present us with a highly seductive floral alternative to the man-made sites that our gaze usually comes to rest on: three fields: one blue, one pink and one yellow, interspersed with swathes of brillant scarlet poppies: psychedelia au naturel! I found the barrow itself magnificent but ultimately a sort of gloomy place - a place of solenmity and death. But the adjacent abundance of flora, fauna and wildflower speaks only of life and vitality. Perhaps the barrow's isolated, elevated position - surrounded as it is by the wild landscape - has something to do with this? Death and decay amidst life and renewal? Whatever the answer it was well worth the journey and an experience that i will, undoubtedly, take with me to the barrow. |
Posted by deboudoir 28th June 2006ce Edited 29th June 2006ce |
| Visited the longbarrow on 14/4/05. Myself and my husband were the only visitors there. The inside of the barrow was clean and no signs of the reported rats or rat droppings and no food had been left. Someone had decided to draw a phallic symbol in chalk on the big stone so with some honest spit and a wipe I manged to clean most of it off. It was quite an experience to be there in the peace and quiet and take in the surroundings completely alone. |
Posted by maesi 16th April 2005ce Edited 17th April 2005ce |
| I agree with akasha (10 March 2004) about "ritual litter" When I visited the barrow I was preceeded by a couple of "new Agers" who were coming down the path as I was going up. Nothing wrong with that you say, as I entered the barrow I was confronted by billowing smoke and I could hardly see a thing. These bloody awful people had only lit half-a-dozen (birthday cake) candles and left a votive offering of a dog biscuit. Ruined my day! |
Posted by doug3rd January 2005ce Edited 4th January 2005ce |
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We'd been told that the access had been improved since last we were here, and indeed the path is much easier to get a buggy up, but why go through all that bother and leave the manky old metal kissing gate? Thus not making it any more accessible? World Heritage Site rules and regs I guess. There were folks doing the 'stoneage soundtracks' thing, humming and ohmming etc. And from my postion at the time, in the 'courtyard' down on the deck, looking at the textures, it did seem to have a definite effect. Mucho resonance etc. The hummers then spoiled this by making gyets of themselves, but it's West Kennet, it attracts all types. At least they didn't damage anything in the name of being reverent. Really smooth polisher on the inside, to the right. Not noticed it before reading this website. |
Posted by Hob16th August 2004ce |
| The journey to West Kennet Long Barrow has many distinct parts, starting with the car park. Apparantly, this is one of the most thieved-from in the county. A man in Marlborough came up to me and warned me to lock my bike if I stopped there. Arriving, I saw that shattered glass lay all around. I marvelled at the incongruity of this, in the presence of the quiet dignity that is Silbury Hill. It felt like a test of the heart, so I left my bike without lock and lifted my head. Take time to stop under the wonderful oak at the side of the meadow. A kind soul there abides.The climb up through the barley shows all sorts of detritus in the soil. I picked up a heart shaped sliver of flint and a couple of lumps. The surface felt like soupstone, so hard, yet so soft. I caught up with a couple of ladies and we reached the barrow together. I walked off round the outside of the barrow, leaving the ladies to the "Hey, You!" of the stones at the entrance, and came back along the spine. A small pit seemed an appropriate recepticle for the stones, so I left them there. The heart I gave to my wife when I got home. The back of West Kennet is scarred, deeply, by the excavations of the curious, and the greedy, but the scars are old and make the path up the spine into a mini adventure. I felt like a giant striding across the downs. The roof of the chambers is a mixture of huge stone plates, glass bricks and concrete. It had a hint of the Cold War utilitariarn to it, but only affected the Glamour of the place. West Kennet has deeper levels of meaning to it than that. Met a Canadian couple who had just come from Dunscore, the small village in Scotland where I lived as a boy, and smiled. What were the chances....? Inside, the stones are beautiful, all swoops, scoops and curves. I didn't feel much life beyond the stones. The word I would best use is 'cold', not malevolent, just dead. I suppose this is fitting, if this was a site associated with death. In the time I was here, at least 9 army helicopters flew directly past, usually in pairs which seemed intent on corralling us. I suspect that this is intentional but feel it as an impotent fury. When here, smile and wave. Who knows what hearts might melt, behind the Rayban Shine.... Incidentally, my bike was still there when I returned! |
Posted by Equinoxboy 23rd July 2004ce |
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So the urge had finally caught up with me! A brief tour of the country had taken in a brief glimpse of Silbury Hill and the shortest stop on record for visit to Avebury. How impressive both these sites are and how full of history the area must be. I felt shame that I did not know much about this area despite my professed interest in Neolithic monuments. I have a copy of TMA at home and I had glanced at the pages concerning this area but had never had the drive to get up and visit it for any sustained amount of time. This was not a good situation and had to come to an end! Returning home to Yorkshire after my brief UK tour I made plans to return within the next few days. Gourging myself on knowledge from TMA and more helpfully from fieldnotes made by members of this site, I drew up an itinerary and set off to the Marlborough Downs, well, almost… I had convinced my father to come along, he had a couple of days off work and I was on holiday from mine. We booked a youth hostel in Stow on the Wold, an attractive village in the Cotswolds and not a million miles away from the Rollright Stones. What a good place to start. True they are not part of the Avebury complex but they are well known and they would provide the perfect first stop off point. Upon reaching said monument I was appalled by what I saw… The stones had been daubed with yellow paint, each and every one, an April fools gag by all accounts. A notice on the board near to the stones said that the cost of removing the paint would run to a minimum of £30,000. Why so high? Well the paint has seriously damaged the lichen growing on the stones. The lichen, which is said to be 800 years old, is one of the oldest recorded colonies in Britain. A £1000 reward has been posted to anyone who has information leading to the capture of the mindless fools who did this and a local coven of white witches have cursed the perpetrators for their actions. As fortune would have it, the other monuments in the complex had not been touched by the paint smearing vandals. The King stone looked impressive in the afternoon sun but what a shame that it was caged behind iron bars. The stone is said to be that of a king in days gone by, a witch promised him Britain if he could see the nearby town of Long Compton. He couldn't see it because his line of site was impaired by a nearby hill. The poor guy was turned to stone as his reward and his men became the rollrights. A bit harsh I thought, especially now that this area seems to be a favoured picnic spot amongst young couples. Mind you, who could blame them, the view down from the stone to the valley below is wonderful. The other part of the complex are the Whispering Knights located in the field opposite from the Kings stone and at the same side of the road but further down from the Rollrights. These poor guys seemed to get ignored by the many tourists who came to look at the circle whilst we were there. I'm not sure that a lot of the people visiting actually knew that they were there quietly nestling at the far end of the field. I can't quite understand this apathy as it really isn't a long walk to them. We arrived in Stow on the Wold only the check in and to go straight back out. I had spotted a couple of alleged monuments on the 'Cotswolds Tourist Map' recently purchased from the local information centre. This whole area is deep in old roman territory and there are plenty of links to that era, from villas to the road on which we travelled south the monuments spotted on our map, the Fosse Way. Our first destination of the ever darkening evening was to see something called the Hangmans stone! Very macabre we anticipated it being a most impressive monument, alas what we got couldn't have been further from the truth. If the truth is known the monument was so unimpressive I can't even be sure whether we found it or not. Although I am convinced that we did find two sarsens, of sorts, however these were most certinaly not in their original positions. They had been the victims of field clearance and now made up a wall which penned in a number of growing saplings. We had a job to find these stones. The map directed us to the village of Northleach, we took the road to Oxpens Farm and it was just after the turn off for there that we parked. Having searched around the area for the Hangmans stone, it was concluded that the only sarsens of note that this could be were they stones making up this wall. I would very much like to be proved wrong some day by antiquarians with much better stone finding abilities than me but for now it appears that these make up Hangmans stone. Following on from this disappointment we headed towards the next alleged monument, the Hoar Stone. This was situated off the A417 towards Cirencester, taking the turnoff towards Duntisbourne Leer. The 'stone' is situated to the left in the middle of a field before the first turnoff to your left once through the village. Of course its not just a stone but a long barrow, and it is noticeable. The capstone is still there along with another dominant stone which now has a tree growing next to it. After the debacle of the Hangmans stone, this was a very pleasing result!!! We then headed to the village of Bisley, not a million miles away, but, because of the way the roads ran, it may have well been. As the crow flies the distance between the Giants Stone near to Bisley and the Hoar stone was not far at all but the fact that it took 40 minutes to get there testifys to the difficulty of navigating the roads in this part of the world. The Giants stone is allegedly located on the road out of Bisley towards Battlescombe. This road ends and there the stone should be on the right. It was a case of déjà vu because despite a thorough sweep of the area I could not find it for love nor money. I did find however a number of inquisitive sheep and a road that should have ended but didn't which added to my confusion. Next time I shall arm myself with an OS map and use the visitors map for reference only. We returned via the viewpoint at Barrow Wake near Gloucester and bedded down for the night, in, as it customary in youth hostels, a dormitory full of men!!! I awoke of 5 to the sound of rumbling, I attempted to get back to sleep but could not. What was this noise? Could it be my stomach? No I had eaten before I retired! Could it be an earthquake? Don't be silly we don't get earthquakes here, not severe ones anyway! Could it be the guy in the bunk opposite snoring his head off and preventing me from a good nights kip? Of course it was!!! Actually although I was bitter at the time, the gentleman and his nasal orchestra did me a favour by not allowing me back to sleep. For without this disruption I would not have gotten up, and if I had not have got up, I would not have set off in the early hours to the Uffington White Horse. The roads were clear and dawn was beginning to break as we left the hostel. We wound our way through the many picture postcard villages of the area and ended up at the White Horse for 7 in the morning. Not another soul was around, it was slighty damp and dreary but this mattered not one jot as the peace was serene. With great forethought we had prepared a flask with the intention of enjoying a cup of tea at the top, there our plan was to drink it and soak up the wonderful views of the valley known as the Manger below. Legend abounds this area, the favourite of mine being that the horse is actually a representation of the Dragon slain by St. George. The place of said slaying was upon the nearby Dragon Hill. This seemingly unnaturally shaped hill boasts a large chalk patch upon its summit on which nothing will grow. This patch is said to be the place where the Dragons blood fell and hence will remain forever barren. Further up from the White Horse towards the Ridgeway is Uffington Castle, an iron age hill fort upon which evidence of great wooden structures were found, as well as an iron age coin. People residing in this place chose a good vantage point, it was possible to see for miles even on a damp overcast days such as this. The next point of call when in this area has to be Waylands Smithy! We joined the Ridgeway having crossed over the castle ramparts and headed west to walk the one and a half miles towards it. The walk dragged a bit. The Ridgeway in this section is not particularly exciting and therefore seems longer than it is. At one point we thought we'd taken a wrong turn and had to ask a jogger for confirmation of where the Smithy was. Sure enough though it was there sitting within a copse in the middle of a field. The Smithy was also looking surprisingly well maintained for its age. I wondered aloud if this was because of its proximity to the White Horse. Excavations in 1919 revealed the skeletons of 8 adults and 1 child within the two main chambers and further excavations in 1962 revealed 14 more. The place gets its name from the blacksmith who lived there. It was said that if you left your horse tethered along with some coins on the stone overnight, then the horse would be found shod come morning. Waylands Smithy is of course not really a Smithy but a long barrow and is believed to date from around 3400BCE. From within its chambers we poured another cup of tea and decided upon which spot would be easiest to get to next… Now Swindon is not the sort of town you would normally associate with the Neolithic, true its proximity to some of the great sites is enviable but Swindon is very much a sprawling 'new town'. It therefore came as a great surprise to see a stone circle marked on the OS map just south of the place between Coate and Coate Country Park at 183.824. The circle is very easy to miss for there is nothing on the site to say what it is and the stones are unspectacular at best. We drove straight past and headed towards the huge ringroad at the end of the lane which was of course far too far. On our return we spotted the stones laying in an ark in the farmers field opposite the first barn we came to. Five stones were all that I could see but I dare say it would have been fairly sizeable. From the remaining stones you can indeed get a good idea of its size. A brief glance over towards the farm buildings revealed nothing that could have been the second half of the circle but condsidering the building work going on in that area this was not suprising. Time was now stretching on and we decided to try and get a bite to eat. Our next destination was to be the hill fort at Barbury Castle, an area which is now a country park. Upon arriving our delight was assured by the presence of a café which sold full English breakfasts. We were not the only people there, the area seemed to be popular with dog walkers and families. The area has been settled for many years probably due to its dominant position overlooked everything it surveys. Bronze age disc barrows have been discovered at the site as well as later Iron age burials. Legend has it also that the site was the scene of a great battle between the Saxons and the celts in around 550CE. A battle, which, may have gone a long way to the establishment of the kingdom of Wessex. From the castle we set off towards Winterbourne Bassett where we had heard there was a stone circle. Again using the fieldnotes taken from this site (very helpful thank you) we found the place without any difficulty. Marking the site is an outlying stone at the junction of the road, opposite, over a style in the field the two nearest stones of the circle can be seen. Upon further inspection I found four more. Although the site has probably suffered damage in years past I was able to gain a sense of how it could have looked. There are three outlying stones which form a triangle around the four inner stones. The four inner stones are positioned in such a way that it would be feasible to assume that at some point there would have been a fifth which would have made up the circle. Afterward we decided to head toward the white horse figure carved onto the nearby hackpen hill which overlooks this area. As we drove toward it at OS ref 118.757 in the field to our left we saw what appeared to be a standing stone. There was no reference to it anywhere so far as I could see, but it was there, approximately 50 yards from the road. I have posted it on this site to see what everyone else thinks. The horse in the background certinaly gave it a good backdrop although that is anything but Neolithic. One place that had intrigued me since reading about it in the TMA was that of Marlborough Mount, alleged to be a close relative of Silbury Hill yet laying neglected in the grounds of a private school. The mound from which the town takes its name is indeed seemingly forgotten about by the locals. There is no plaque, the mound is overgrown and untidy and on top is a horrendous construction which I believe is a water tank. The setting however within Marlborough college promises much. Although you wouldn't expect to walk into a school to see such a monument as soon as you do it becomes apparent that this is no ordinary school. It is the sort of school with rebellious rich kids sporting foppish hairstyles, blazers, oversize suits and shirt tails hanging out over their trousers. The sort of school which best resembles the typical English sterotype of the way all schools in this country are no matter how untrue. The grounds are lovingly and painstakingly manicured, but the mound that was there before the school was even thought of, has been left to overgrow and the vast majority of the pupils there probably have no idea of its potential importance. From the mount after wandering through the lovely town of Marlborough we headed towards the Devils Den, a dolmen of which I am convinced only part of remains. The rest of the structure seems to be lying in clearance at the edge of the field. We parked upon the verge of the road next to the farm and walked the alleged one and a half miles towards the monument, our guidance on distance being taken from a very weathered signpost at the entrance of the track leading to the site. Just beyond a quaint looking barn in a field beyond and to the left lies the dolmen. It looks impressive just as structures like these should look. Seeing the rest of the stones laying along the side of the field however make you despair. That they must have been once something to do with this monument seems obvious. I wonder how much grander it would have appeared with them in situ. But the day was now beginning to become long. There are lots of things to see in this area and in the limited time that we had, we sure were packing them in. Soon it would be time to bed down in the sweet B & B we had booked in the tiny hamlet of Winterbourne Abbas. Tomorrow would be just as full a day but first we had more pressing things to do like visit Avebury, the legendary Silbury Hill and a former timber temple on a place called Overton Hill, the Sanctuary. The sanctuary was just that, in days gone by, a huge timber structure, the postholes of which have now been filled with horrendous concrete blocks. The Sanctuary looks down upon the valley below and must have played a significant part in the pre-history of this area. Of course it would have been more Sanctuary like had the A4 not been directly next to it and the lorries did not thunder past at such breakneck speeds. Next door to the circle are the Seorfon Barrows immediately noticeable if approaching from Marlborough. The burial mounds sit proud upon the brow of the hill and appear to form the arched back of some long forgotten serpent. I counted four on the other side of the road from the Sanctuary and a much more overgrown one on the path leading down the Sanctuary side. Now for the main event, my father despite cycling around the area in his youth had never visited the place. He had heard about it of course but without ever really seeing Avebury I can imagine that it is difficult to understand just how impressive this site is. As soon as you enter and see the town, whether it be along the Avenue of Stones or any other way, the sight is breathtaking and awe-inspiring. We chose to park in the NT car park and set off not towards the town, but towards Silbury Hill. There is a path that leads there from opposite the entrance to the car park. The path runs along the lovely River Kennett and the hill is only a short hike really. The river can be crossed at a sweet little bridge and the path turns and heads towards West Kennett and the Silbury Hill car park. Access to the hill is now forbidden in order to help preserve the monument. Truly this is an amazing structure and along with the Avebury stones has to go down as one of the wonders of England. Back over the bridge the path leads up toward Waden Hill, Silburys more natural neighbour. At the time we clambered up the hill was lush with green and the flowers of Spring. Given the lovely blue sky nothing could have been more perfect at that moment. The view of Silbury in the background was exquisite and once on top the view of the surrounding area, divine. We headed down from the hill into the Avenue of Stones and walked through until we came to the edge of the village. We entered and walked along the path at the top of the earthwork on the rim of the village, breathtaking. Some of the stones are now fenced off in order to protect them but the majority you can reach out and touch. The village itself is delightful some nice and interesting books and spiritual bits and pieces can be found in the local shops. From the village our last stop of the day was to be West Kennett long barrow. We hopped in the car and drove the short distance there (our legs now far too tired to carry us far) and parked in the layby at the side of the road. As the time was now dusk, the only people we saw were walking back from the barrow. Once there we had the place to ourselves. The chambers are impressive, as is the façade and the barrow itself is lovingly maintained, the view from the top was wonderful too. During excavation of the barrow in 1956, the remains of 46 people were found within its chambers. Having finished for the day we headed back to Marlborough and dined in the Bear pub apparently renowned for its fish and chips. We enjoyed them and a starter of leek soup before we were joined by the local town crier on an ale tasting mission. By all accounts as part of his responsibilities he has to taste the ale and issue a certificate accordingly. We wondered at the time if after he'd done he'd go to the local kebab house and sample one of those too. The siting for our stay that evening could not have been better. Winterbourne Abbas allowed us to investigate the areas of interest around the Vale of Pewsey of which there were many. Having polished off a lovely organic full English breakfast in the morning we headed to our first point of call which was Pewsey Church. We had heard that sarsen stones made up the base of the church at certain points and we were eager to take a look. Sure enough as you walked up to the entrance of the church and went along the right hand wall there they were. Three stones making up keystones to the base of the church. As the church was on a hill I wondered aloud whether, if there ever was a stone circle in Pewsey, then this may have been the location. Local legend has it that one was destroyed so its not an unfeasible thought I daresay. Further into the village beyond the co-op car park and nestling next to the bridge crossing the stream stand what could possibly be the remains of the monument. They form a border with the path at this point and to my mind must have been placed there by town planners. Clearance stones probably connected with these possibly with the stones at Pewsey church nestled unloved in the background. The stones themselves were nestled at the foot of the hill upon which the church now stands. Maybe this was the location of an original circle and the keystones were moved up to the church who knows!! Heading out of the village we set off for a place known as Swanborough Tump. A great battle was fought here in the year 871 and people with the name Swanborough can link there ancestary back to this. I wasn't expecting to be able to see much. The fieldnotes had warned me of this but what I could see opposite was the brows of two conical imposing hills, Picked Hill and Woodborough hill. Picked Hill particularly was imposing its conical shape reminded me of Silbury and Marlborough Mount. Its neighbour Woodborough too had the same shape. I again wondered whether all these hills could have one point been linked. Heading past the tump we decended upon the village of Woodborough. Here a holed stone lays at the side of the road with a plaque in front dedicating it to the memory of people who fought for peace and freedom in the fifty years since the end of world war 2. The map reference for the stone is 108.568. History abounds this place and from Woodborough we headed to a place which this time was actually marked on the Ordance Survey. A place known as the hanging stone. We actually took a wrong turn and ended up at the nearby Hursts Farm. There we encountered the farmers wife and her children with their quad bikes. We asked for directions and although the farmers wife didn't know anything about the stone the kids certinaly did. They directed us to it and also told us a legend about how years ago a sheep thief got his cape stuck on the stone when trying to escape the clutches of an angry farmer. It got stuck so fast that the cape actually strangled the thief to death hence the name hanging stone The stone was approximately a half mile down the track heading straight on past the barn. To the right a number of sarsens the victims of field clearance and at one point probably part of this monument nestled forgotten in a copse. Further up the Hanging stone protruded through the ploughed field. We headed on up thankful that the weather had dried out the land otherwise we would have gotten very muddy. Returning to the car from the stone we headed to our next Christianised site, that of St. Marys Church, Alton Priors. It is confusing because there are too churches and one is signposted from the road 'St. Marys Saxon Church' go there if you like but this is not the one of Neolithic interest. A further bonus other than the church and the pleasant setting about Alton Priors is the sarsen stone sitting directly in the middle of the village. We discovered from an elderly local that the stone had been originally placed in a nearby field and removed unfortunately he did not remember in which field it was discovered. Upon the stone is a carving of the horse which stands proud on the hill overlooking the village. The horse was carved by an American expert in crop circles who comes to the village every year to discuss the crop circle frenzy around these parts. The centre of his organisation actually meet in a pub nearby called the Barge Inn alas we didn't have time to go in. Down from the sarsen is the church, situated in a lovely field absolutely choca-block full of barrows. The church grounds are fenced off from the field and you need to clamber over a style to get into them. It's a pretty church of that there is no doubt, in the grounds there is a lovely Yew tree which, it is claimed, is 1700 years old. Inside the church, which is no longer in constant use, the first trap door in the floor can be seen. Lifting it up reveals the sarsen itself. Whoever laid this floor had good foresight in thinking that people may come here just to see that. There is another trapdoor nearer the front of the church but it cannot be lifted up as there is a makeshift step which has been built over it. Next step was another highlight of the trip. Again having read about the place in TMA I was intrigued and wanted to go. The location? Hatfield Barrow near the village of Marden. A structure not unlike Silbury in its day and scandalously destroyed. Whats worse, the remains of said barrow where bulldozed to one side by the farmer in later years. I expected to have trouble finding it as all the sources said that there was nothing left to see. However we did have an approximate location on a makeshift map and when we arrived at the point on the map, directly opposite in a field was an information plaque. The plaque told the unhappy tale of this once great monument and we had found it much easier than expected. There were mounds and ridges to be seen alright but I found it difficult to determine the exact location of the barrow especially following the bulldozing. But, at least I had been, in the flat landscape it would have stood out like a beacon. I can well imagine this too being part of the great Avebury complex. We set off back up the road towards Knap Hill and prepared ourselves for a bit of walking. The weather was pleasant and in this particular area there were many hills of importance that we needed to climb. Knap Hill was the closest so we parked the car at the foot of the hill and clambered up. At the top of all the hills in this area are earthworks we clambered past the ditches and headed for the top from which we had the most tremendous of views. Golden Ball Hill, Adams Grave, Picked Hill and I should think at one point we would have been able to see Hatfield Barrow. Along from the summit we headed for Golden Ball Hill. Slightly higher this is special because evidence of really ancient civilisations have been found here in the form of flint floors. Nothing much remains of the excavations now and it was quite impossible to guess where the excavations where other than assume the various indentions in the ground where them. I'd have liked there to have been a plaque or information board on some sort. If this place is indeed where the first settlers came to then I'd consider that a more than important piece of history. From the top the views where again magnificent although, perhaps on account of the odd bush and tree the wind was not as severe as when on Knap Hill. From the summit both Knap and Adams Grave from the angle looking like a humped back bridge. Wandering down the side of Golden Ball Hill earthworks dominate there are lots of them. The early settlers perhaps choosing here because of the view and the fact that it was actually quite sheltered from the wind. We headed onto Adams Grave, the site of the huge barrow which was discovered on top. Again the walk was relatively easy and the earthworks are substantial, this whole area must have been a place of major importance. At the summit of the barrow again the view was breathtaking. We rested for some time at the top, not through tiredness but through awe. We really were looking through the eyes of the ancients for they had been here and all around this place. It was with a heavy heart that we descended Adams Grave, hopping into the car with the intention of finding somewhere to stop for a cuppa. Our plan was to find a stream fill our kettle with water and boil it using the primus stove we had brought for such an occasion. The only stream that we could think of was that near to Silbury and that wasn't a stream at all but a river. We made the decision to head back but on the way noticed an extreme amount of sarsen stones in a field near the village of Lockeridge. This came as a surprise I had not counted on seeing something like this, I wondered what monument this could be. A plaque at the entrance to the sarsen field revealed that the area was under the protection of the national trust and that the sarsens were the remnants of sandstone deposits formed on the chalk over 30 million years ago. This is the same sort of sarsen that had been used for building material for the past 5000 years. I wondered whether any of the many sarsens around the area could have been taken from this place. It clearly was an important area and in very good proximity to Avebury itself. We drove on and came to rest in the NT car park in Avebury, water was collected from the river and we drove to Longstone Cove where the plan was to boil it and make tea. Whilst we sipped I read that Longstone Cove used to be made up of three giant stones not just the two that are now present. The other being used for building material by a Victorian vandal. The two remaining ones don't look that big even from the path but once you approach they are tremendous. Down the way from the stones is Beckhampton barrow. It seems that now it is much easier to get to than a few years ago. The footpath runs along the side of the farm and there is a gap in the fence to the field on the left which you can wander through. The barrow can be clearly seen in the distance dominating the field with its thick copse of trees growing on top. There is a path that leads alongside so we took it but left it later on to get a better look. It was difficult to tell where the entrance had been but I later read that it had been destroyed some time before. The whole shape remains though, there are many barrows which don't look like anything but this still does. Our final destination before heading for the next hostel such outside of Wantage was another long barrow, this time at East Kennett. We headed for the village and parked outside the church. There is a footpath which runs through the farm but which does not officially run past the barrow. We cut through the farm and took a left turn following the tracker trail up towards the barrow. Sitting imposingly on the hilltop. From the barrow we could see all around Silbury and its neighbour at West Kennett. I was disappointed that there were not even any fallen sarsens that I could see which may have made up a façade of some description. I was content though, the barrow was an impressive one. Huge but overgrown, full of history and possibilities. I'd packed a lot into this tour from Marlborough to Marden we had walked in the footsteps of the ancients. This post appears as part of the weblog entry From Marlborough to Marden, walking in the footsteps of the ancients
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Posted by notjamesbond22nd April 2004ce |
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Visited West Kennet last week. As ever disappointed to find the place littered with tealights and other 'ritual litter', who ARE these people who are leaving the tealights? Everyone on this fieldnote page seem to realise heat is damaging to the stones! as is burning incense. Im reading a book about the west kennet long barrow and it states that a probable use for the barrow was as a place of initiation - initiation of a soul from this life to the next, (rites of passage) as well as initiations for the living, who spent time in solitary confinment in the barrow. I meditated on the barrow recently and got the distinct impression the barrow should be Closed. Did you know that when first excavated, the barrow was found stuffed full to the brim with flint gravel? When closed my megalithic people, it is most obvious that this place was supposed to STAY closed. Unfortunatly for us, who love to visit the barrow, this is the message I recieved! x If anyone is interested in promoting the proper use of the barrow through educating its visitors, please contact me as I am trying to start an action group: staring_mushroom@yahoo.co.uk |
Posted by akasha 10th March 2004ce |
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Access kissing gate I think. Slightly rough path up to barrow, but path is being re-jigged at the moment. Walk is around 10 minutes if you're reasonably fit I guess. Monday 15 September 2003 Haven't been up here for years. Only took about 3 photies before, as I was only just getting interested in stones 'n' bumps. Unfortunately had a frustrating time with the camera this time, as our visit coincided perfectly with a (small but big enough!) coachload of tourists.... Must admit I was probably a bit less impressed this time than I expected, having seen numerous other barrows and burials of many kinds since that first visit. It remains an absolute classic though and seems quite a bit bigger than East Kennett (I know it's not). So, here follow some banal comments, for the record. It really is a very long barrow, isn't it? And I suspect it takes quite a few visits to get used to the sheer size of the entrance stones. Smaller inside than I remembered. Oh yeah, the skylights spoil it a bit I think. This post appears as part of the weblog entry Moth flies south - part 1
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Posted by Moth30th September 2003ce Edited 1st October 2003ce |
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Visited 29th December 2002: We made the long slog up to West Kennet this afternoon, despite the muddy river that used to be a footpath. The National Trust have put a sign up at the car park warning people about the state of the path and suggesting that appropriate footwear should be worn. I'm guessing that high heeled boots aren't recommended, but I saw someone struggle to the top despite wearing a chunky pair (all power to them). When we entered the barrow, and moved down to the chamber at the end I was mightily pissed off to find a plastic tarpaulin on the floor, covered in mud and spent tea lights. The wall of the chamber was also littered with tea lights, and the accompanying soot and wax. There were a couple of biodegradable offerings in the chamber as well, but they both had poisonous berries on them, and I had to keep asking William not to pick them up (or to put them down, depending on how far he'd got). Unfortunately we couldn't do much clearing up (with the prospect of getting the two boys back down the mud slide to the car). It made me sad to see the place looking like that. What's the story with this sort of behaviour? Are the people who do this really Pagans? If they are, how the hell do they justify causing so much damage to a place that is sacred and/or of unique archaeological importance? How stupid can you be? It gives a bad name to the majority of people who use the site for spiritual purposes without leaving it in a mess. Despite all this, I'm glad we took the boys to see West Kennett. Next time, we take bin bags! |
Posted by Kammer29th December 2002ce Edited 10th November 2003ce |
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Visited Avebury 22.12.02 - peaceful on West Kennet Avenue with bursts of incredible winter sunshine. Lot of people in the village talking about "mushrooms". Visited West Kennet Long Barrow 22.12.02 - monument filled with candles & nightlights, majority of which placed directly beside or beneath megaliths. The prolonged heat from these candles will probably damage/fissure these ancient stones. A capstone was reported cracked recently, I understand? Bottle of red wine going the rounds... I spoke to the people at the barrow, about the danger to the monument, one of which promised to 'do something'. The others melted away into the interior of the barrow (about a dozen loosely connected people), seemed unwilling to discuss the matter [embarassed?]. Most of these guys appeared to have come from Stonehenge (solstice) from what I could discern from the conversation. The guy (from Belgium) who'd promised to check on the nightlights soon left the barrow - as I was leaving, in fact. He didn't talk about the nightlights. I again explained the danger that fire poses to ancient stones; it was difficult to tell whether he could take what I was saying on board, although he spoke perfect English, French & Flemish. After a while I let him continue on his way alone; I, wishing to visit the Swallowhead. Afterwards, at the layby, I encountered about half a dozen people making their way towards the barrow. I wished them well but asked if they were to encounter candles at the monument, to please make sure none were harming the stones in any way - by directly heating them. The response seemed positive/bemused: a middle aged lady became quite defensive about her 'never using candles anyway!' I will write to EH about adding a multilingual note to their WKLB information board, about the danger fire presents to ancient stones. m6 |
Posted by megalith6 24th December 2002ce Edited 1st January 2003ce |
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I remember the first time I came here, it was in the early '50s. There were TV cameras, a lot of mud and a lot of people. Sir Mortimer Wheeler was doing the dig. I later saw the program on the BBC, there was no ITV in those dim and distant days. The next time I went it was clean and the wonderful place it is today, I go there a lot to re-vitalize. |
Posted by hamish15th September 2002ce |
| 7.00am on a Monday, and you can have the place to yourself. After the hoardes of folk up there on Saturday afternoon it was a completely different place. And it gives you time to clear up the tea-candles. |
Posted by stubob3rd September 2002ce |
| Many times I've stood in the longbarrow and experienced the tangible stillness inside. Once in the early 90s I went with a group of shamanic students and we gathered inside and chanted. The quality of the air seemed to grow thicker and the energy inside seemed almost electric. The accoustics were also marvelous! |
Posted by rachelwych 6th June 2002ce |
| What a wonderful Sunset tonight from West Kennet. It could become an Easter tradition, this climbing out of tombs stuff!!!! |
Posted by tamlin 30th March 2002ce |
| On Saturday 2nd Feb, on an awayday from the family, I set off in search of West Kennett. The drive from Thame in Oxfordshire took in the Blowing Stone, a cute little number stranded at the bottom of someone's front garden, and then a lightning stop at the Uffington White Horse - not enough time for Wayland's Smithy this time.. The journey to Avebury was enough in itself. The visual build up along the Ridgeway is amazing.. every step of the way the landscape reveals itself, pulling you along and then suddenly you approach the edge of the henge, and hello ladies, here we are! I think this was my third visit to Avebury but through taking this particular route, I was for the first time able to get a profound sense of the sheer scale of the journey people must have undertaken to get here, not to mention the awesome ceremonial significance of this ancient landscape. Unfortunately, the rain was beating down badly, so nothing to do but welly up and stride forth! I hadn't had time to see West Kennett before, so was determined to get there sheeting rain or no! I walked through the circle and made my way along the Avenue. I've always loved these avenue stones in particular, their individual characters so distinct. Getting more soaked every minute, I hurried on towards W.K. not realising quite how far from the circle it actually is ( well not that far really!) As I turned the corner and saw the mother of mounds that is Silbury, I knew there wasn't far to go. By the time I reached W.K. I was hugely wet but very happy. What a phenomenal spot to put this place! A giant footstep away from Silbury and the beautiful stone at the entrance shielding you from all the wind and rain.. As I ventured inside, I was not alone, a group of people had gathered inside to celebrate Imbolc, trust me to chose today! No disrespect though, they were a nice bunch, but although I stayed and chatted for a while, I kind of felt like I was intruding and so didn't really have the chance to tune in to the West Kennett experience, maybe next time! So after "drying out" HAHA! for a short while, I headed back up across the hill, stood alone on a level with Silbury, WONDERFUL! and had my moment.. I must say a valuable lesson in the need for serious waterproofs was learned as I do not recommend trying to change out of sodden clothes in your car, thank goodness it was dark!! Roll on those summer nights! LISSY x |
Posted by lissy 10th February 2002ce |
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I once decided to take two of my kids, aged about 11 and 9 at the time, the two boys, for a two or three day trek up the ridgeway, starting at Avebury. On the first day whilst still at Avebury, we got completely soaked. The next morning the same. So we dediced to give up. We only had one pushbike for transport and we live in Newbury 25 miles away. Oh and we had the dog. So the plan was I had to cycle back and collect a car to collect the boys and the dog. It was still raining and we needed shelter and safety for two young boys. The only place .... West Kennett Longbarrow I thought.... The boys had been before but they were too young to remember. The youngest one wasn't too impressed with his lodgings for a few hours... He said, "I don't want to stay in this stupid cave". Anyway I managed to persuade him that it was dry..ish and it was a spirtual place and he would be safe there. I didn't dare tell him about what was buried there. I was quite worried about leaving them, but I had no choice. The ride and a car were the only options. The train was a long walk and infrequent. I set off in the driving rain.... 25 miles of slog on a mountain bike. I'm was fit , but used to that sort of distance on a nice summers day on a road bike. 3 hours later I returned. As if by magic the sun beamed down. As I walked up the to the Longbarrow my two kids were dancing aroung in the sun, as happy as larry. The dog had stayed in the Logbarrow for most of the time. She had moved the bits of hay inside and made a nest in one of the chambers, maybe she got the vibes and thought that this was the end, although she wan't upset or frighteneed when I returned and neither were the kids. Moonhead |
Posted by moonhead 7th February 2002ce |
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Me and Carolyn and a cold windy day, wound our way up the footpath to the Longbarrow with the glorious Silbury always over our shoulders. When we arrived we had the place to ourselves. Wow beautiful! Supprisingly enough it wasn't cold inside, the whole place gave off an air of calm warmth. We then witnessed a snow storm gradually make its way from the downs, across Silbury and up to us, coating the world in a powdery hail. We decended from the hill into a different landscape from the one we accended from. Lovely, magical. |
Posted by fitzcoraldo19th November 2001ce |
| A tip - take a walkman or discman - sit in peace in one of the chambers and listen to 'Paranormal In the West Country' by Julian Cope. Or, better still take a guitar with you and play it yourself. |
Posted by Shrimp24th August 2001ce |
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This is an amazing place to visit! we had visited stonehenge then the sanctuary and walked to West kennet. my 2 children were freaked by it. they are aged 9 and 7. the atmosphere just was amazing and seeing their reaction was wow!! we stayed for ages in the August sun basking in the vibes. then we made posies to the Goddess / nature with bits of corn we had found lying around etc. (i hate picking living flowers / weeds etc.) the children then went into west kennet alone to offer their thanks which i found very moving as i don't 'push' my beliefs upon them, it's up to them to find out their own beliefs themselves. anyway this place was by far the most spiritually moving and enlightening that we encountered. i agree about the silly candles etc. they are more harmful than good. surely offerings can be made with true intent from within ourselves and not by destoying the stones or environment around them. i always take away with me more than i came with ie. rubbish etc. from any site i visit. |
Posted by pixie 3rd March 2001ce |
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The access is still fine (21/8/00), but it's a bit of a double-edged sword. There's a huge amount of damage, mainly from candles balanced on ledges on the stones, but one bit looks like there's been a proper fire in one of the side chambers (first on the left). Seal it up if we can't look after it. Pains me to say it, and I never thought I would, but I can see why there's a fence around Stonehenge now. Bloody drives you mad ... |
Posted by RiotGibbon 24th August 2000ce |
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While visiting the West Kennett barrow a worthwhile diversion is to check out the Swallowhead spring nearby. According to the speculative reconstruction of the Silbury/Avebury rituals by Michael Dames this spring was the original focal point of the whole complex and provided the baseline for the sacred geometries used to construct relationships between the various monuments. During the summer months (when incidentally the spring is dry)its a bit hard to spot from the path due to trees etc. Take the path from the road up to the west barrow until it takes a hard left,in front of you is a field gate which the more energetic may shin over or just follow the hedge around to the left until it finishes. Last time I was here (june 99) the field was under crops so keep to the fallow ground at the edge. Follow the edgeof the field to the right of the gate and Swallowhead is in the bottom right hand corner of the field. I'm not a mystical person but this place is one of the few in Avebury which retains some of the original sense of being a sacred place (the lack of daytrippers is also something to do with it). If you climb down into the dried up spring an old willow tree is festooned with rags and small tokens of previous pilgrims. Sadly last time I was there the remains of some unidentified dead animal probably a cat, together with variousparaphenalia meant that some dodgy pagan nonsense has been going on. Especially during the hectic tourist season this is an oasis of calm with Silbury rising serenely above you in the distance. Since its located on private land the access may have changed so if anybody has been there more recently please post a follow up. |
Posted by C33 6th August 2000ce |
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lovely sunny day when i visited west kennet, which probably explained why a lot of people were lying aroud sleeping on top. excellent view from the top towards silbury hill, shame that some idiots had decided to leave a burning candle in one of the adjoining chambers(take a torch-it wont blacken the stone!) i'm short and it was a great thing that this was one barrow i did not have to crouch down to get in. it is a must to go see this especially if your visiting avebury henge or silbury hill. |
Posted by mort2nd June 2000ce |
Folklore |
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| Considering its age and fame, very little folklore seems to exist. The only reference I can find is that the ghost of a priest enters the barrow at sunrise on Midsummer Day followed by a ghostly white dog with red ears, which is pretty similar to what Rhiannon found. |
Posted by pure joy25th March 2003ce |
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A dog from the fairy otherworld inhabits the barrow. He is white with red ears - as you'd expect from his heritage. On Midsummer's morning you can see him entering the barrow at sunrise (perhaps as some kind of metaphor of the barrow's alignment and the sun?) During excavation, holed limpet and periwinkle shells were found - perhaps they were strung as parts of necklaces or amulets? or had some symbolism connected with their far off origins? I always pick up shells at the beach... (shell info from Burl's 'Prehistoric Avebury', folklore from Grinsell's collections) |
Posted by Rhiannon13th May 2002ce Edited 21st November 2003ce |
Miscellaneous |
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The big stones of the chambers and the smaller ones making up the core of the mound are from the Marlborough Downs. But the (ton weight of) drystone walling of the facade is made from oolitic limestone and calcareous grit - which must have been brought from Frome and Calne, 25 and 7 miles away, respectively. (in Aubrey Burl's 'Prehistoric Avebury') |
Posted by Rhiannon 26th November 2003ce |
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If you need to report damage to West Kennet Long Barrow, or come across such vast quantities of rubbish up there that you can't clear it up yourself, it's worth contacting the local National Trust office in Avebury. Tel: 01672 539250 Fax: 01672 539388 Email: avebury@ntrust.org.uk Kammer x |
Posted by Kammer 3rd January 2003ce |
Links |
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Examination of a chambered long barrow at West Kennet, Wiltshire By John Thurnam 1861Report of John Thurnam's 1861 examination Download the complete book in pdf format |
Posted by Chance18th July 2010ce |
Stuart Ernest Piggott @ WikipediaStuart Ernest Piggott CBE (28 May 1910–23 September 1996) was a British archaeologist most well known for his work on prehistoric Wessex. Wikipedia listing for the man who gave us all a chance to glimpse the world of the ancestors........ Follow the links on this page for more of the team. |
Posted by Chance 23rd November 2007ce |
George Eastman House ArchivePhoto by Alvin Langdon Coburn: interestingly, of the barrow in its pre-restored state. Another at http://www.geh.org/ar/strip27/htmlsrc/m197926730002_ful.html#topofimage and scroll down on this 'Clonehenge' page for another pre-'restored' photo, which purports to be of WKLB too. http://replicahenge.wordpress.com/tag/pete-glastonbury/ |
Posted by Rhiannon 20th January 2007ce Edited 31st August 2009ce |
Avebury - A Present from the PastStukeley's take on WK Longbarrow - as he puts it, fit for an Archdruid. Part of 'Abury - A Temple of the British Druids' (1743) online courtesy of Lithop. |
Posted by Rhiannon 28th June 2006ce |
Wiltshire Heritage MuseumA photo of the complete beaker found in West Kennett. Complete!! |
Posted by Rhiannon 31st December 2005ce Edited 31st August 2009ce |
English HeritageGeophysics survey of the area around the barrow - the side ditches show up really well on the data plots. |
Posted by Chris Collyer19th February 2003ce |
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