BANKING ON IT (PART 2): AVEBURY

Upon leaving the Manor, we found a shady bench to eat our snacks and take in views of the stunning garden. Or rather a sliver of the garden; it is TARDIS-like and much larger on the inside than it appears. With our blood sugar thus restored and curiosity piqued, we set out to explore the number of different “rooms” the garden was divided into, from the incredible walled garden buzzing with pollinators, to the wildflower meadow and orchard, to the more formal garden that was a riot of colour.

Before leaving, we decided to take a walk around the stones, which is always a fascinating experience. I tend to look at them with the eye of an archaeologist, and someone who was set the following essay question as an undergraduate: “Is Avebury an ancient or modern monument?”

It can be argued either way. The henge is certainly ancient. Henge monuments are defined by a bank and ditch structure and, like the ramparts at hillforts, the one at Avebury would have been laboriously dug by hand. It is also more or less contemporary with the nearby Silbury Hill, the largest artificial prehistoric mound in Europe. While its purpose is unknown, it underscores that the ancient inhabitants around Avebury were very good at digging. On a more serious note, it’s thought that large-scale projects like this were used to unite the community and provide a focus for their energy: less warfare, more DIY.

The stones, however, are where things get confusing. Multiple circles of standing stones were likely present in the area. But the Middles Ages saw many buried and broken up due to their association with paganism, and others removed to allow room for agriculture. Early antiquarians such as John Aubrey and William Stukeley left records and drawings of their observations, but also added wild speculation about “druids” that would serve to muddy the waters for centuries.

It was Alexander Keiller, heir to a family fortune made in the marmalade business, who purchased 950 acres of the village and its Neolithic landscape in 1934. As he excavated the site—pulling down part of the village in the process—Keiller re-erected the stones in concrete where he thought they should be and added concrete pillars to represent where he thought megaliths were likely missing. So it can be said that it is not a monument left untouched by millennia, but rather a 20^th century re-imagining of the past.

This does not stop people from doing energy work on the stones or otherwise communing with nature when visiting, and to me that is one of the most interesting aspects of the site: everyone sees in it what they want. For me, it’s a palimpsest of different time periods existing cheek by jowl. For others, it’s a landmark to see and take a selfie in front before moving on to the next. For some, a place of healing spiritual energy. How many places can claim to be so much to so many?

Afterwards, we returned home hot, tired, and slightly sunburnt. Although nothing went exactly to plan over the course of the day, would I do the same things again? You can bank on it.