Sanctuary Stroll
1. Park in the lay-by next to the Sanctuary. Head south down the by-way, with the Sanctuary on your right, passing one of the Seven Round Barrows on your left. Look to the right for a view down the KennetValley, to see Silbury Hill and the LandsdownMonument.
2. After 300m, the main track bears left, where you can turn right onto an adjoining footpath.
3. Carry on along the bottom edge of the field. Notice the ancient dovecote on the other side of the River Kennet. When you reach a quiet country lane, turn right and walk up the road.
4. After 300m there is a gate and stile on the right (if you pass the dog hotel you have gone too far!). Walk up the hill through a meadow; follow the route of the prehistoric West Kennet Avenue. Climb over the stile and back into the Sanctuary.
Features
Barrows, Hills and Monuments
Bronze Age barrows were built nearly 4000 years ago for the burial of the dead all around Avebury. You will pass one which is part of the Overton Hill barrow cemetery. Silbury Hill, the largest prehistoric man-made mound in Europe, is prominent in views to the West. Its construction was started around 4400 years ago and completed within 100 years. Its original purpose is still debated. Further beyond is West Kennet Long Barrow, built between 3700 and 3600 BC. Also clearly visible on the skyline is the LansdowneMonument at Cherhill - a relative newcomer in this ancient landscape and built in 1845.
Red Kites
Increasing numbers of Red Kite (Milvus milvus) have been seen in this area. Wiped-out in England by the 1880s, with only 6 pairs left in the whole of the UK by 1989, their near-extinction was mainly due to persecution by land owners who believed Kites preyed upon livestock and game. However, they are actually carrion feeders - the waste disposal systems of the countryside! A reintroduction programme has seen their population grow to more than 700 pairs in England alone. They are easily identified by their forked tails and white patches on their wings.
The Sanctuary
Approaching the brow of the hill you will cross a stile into The Sanctuary. About 4500 years ago, this site was a series of timber posts arranged in concentric circles. A double stone circle was subsequently erected that was twice the diameter of the timber monument. The processional West Kennet Avenue runs from here to Avebury Henge, 1.6 miles to the north-west.