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How and why the ancients enchanted Great Britain and Brittany

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<< Our Photo Pages >> The Sanctuary. - Stone Circle in England in Wiltshire

Submitted by vicky on Saturday, 31 October 2020  Page Views: 24796

Neolithic and Bronze AgeSite Name: The Sanctuary.
Country: England County: Wiltshire Type: Stone Circle

Map Ref: SU11836802  Landranger Map Number: 173
Latitude: 51.411080N  Longitude: 1.831295W
Condition:
5Perfect
4Almost Perfect
3Reasonable but with some damage
2Ruined but still recognisable as an ancient site
1Pretty much destroyed, possibly visible as crop marks
0No data.
-1Completely destroyed
2 Ambience:
5Superb
4Good
3Ordinary
2Not Good
1Awful
0No data.
2 Access:
5Can be driven to, probably with disabled access
4Short walk on a footpath
3Requiring a bit more of a walk
2A long walk
1In the middle of nowhere, a nightmare to find
0No data.
5 Accuracy:
5co-ordinates taken by GPS or official recorded co-ordinates
4co-ordinates scaled from a detailed map
3co-ordinates scaled from a bad map
2co-ordinates of the nearest village
1co-ordinates of the nearest town
0no data
5

Internal Links:
External Links:

I have visited· I would like to visit

NDM visited on 1st Mar 2023 - their rating: Cond: 2 Amb: 4 Access: 4

Phillwhite visited on 16th Sep 2021 - their rating: Cond: -1 Access: 5

TheCaptain visited on 25th Sep 2020 - their rating: Cond: 2 Amb: 2 Access: 5 Over the A4 to the Sanctuary, perhaps I can sit and have lunch here, but the circle of concrete breezeblocks has a couple of alternative types sat in the centre and dinging little bells. Couple of photos and move on.

SandyG visited on 7th Aug 2016 - their rating: Cond: 1 Amb: 3 Access: 5

Chrononaut1962 visited on 24th Jul 2016 - their rating: Cond: 1 Amb: 3 Access: 5

trystan_hughes visited on 22nd Dec 2015 - their rating: Cond: 1 Amb: 4 Access: 5

KimIannucci visited on 1st Aug 2015 - their rating: Cond: 2 Amb: 3 Access: 5

Chrus visited on 1st Jan 2014 - their rating: Cond: 2 Amb: 4 Access: 4

rideflame visited on 13th Apr 2013 - their rating: Cond: 2 Amb: 4 Access: 5

ModernExplorers visited on 21st Dec 2012 - their rating: Cond: 1 Amb: 2 Access: 5 Right next to the road so no ambience and there are no stones, only markers where ther found holes that they think were used the position of huge stones

jeffrep visited on 26th May 2011 - their rating: Cond: -1 Amb: 3 Access: 5

johnstone visited on 30th Jun 2010 - their rating: Amb: 2 Access: 5

Richard13 visited on 1st Jul 2009 - their rating: Cond: 2 Amb: 2 Access: 5

Ogham visited on 18th Jan 2009 - their rating: Cond: -1 Amb: 2 Access: 5

Woode visited on 21st Dec 2007 - their rating: Cond: 1 Amb: 3 Access: 5

TheCaptain visited on 4th Oct 1998 Visit lots of ancient sites on a long off road cycle tour from Avebury to Windmill Hill, along the Wansdyke and back up Kennet Avenue

BolshieBoris visited on 1st Jun 1987 - their rating: Cond: 1 Amb: 2 Access: 4

Twistytwirly visited - their rating: Cond: 1 Amb: 3 Access: 5

coin visited - their rating: Cond: 1 Amb: 2 Access: 5

bishop_pam visited - their rating: Cond: 2 Amb: 4 Access: 5

DrewParsons AngieLake TimPrevett hamish JimChampion mdensham NickyD AnnabelleStar FrothNinja have visited here

Average ratings for this site from all visit loggers: Condition: 1.06 Ambience: 2.89 Access: 4.84

The Sanctuary.
The Sanctuary. submitted by Humbucker : Western section of The Sanctuary. Not the easiest of sites to photograph, hopefully shadows from the late afternoon sunshine help the markers stand out a bit. (Vote or comment on this photo)
Lying at the end of the West Kennet Avenue, alongside the A4 on Overton Hill, the Sanctuary at Avebury sadly now just consists of circles of concrete marker posts. According to archaeologists the site was constructed and modified in a number of phases, with eight rings in total - six wooden post rings and two stone circles. See our page for lots more photos, including from the air.

Much speculation has surrounded the site and detailed arguments can be found in both Burl’s ‘Prehistoric Avebury’ and Mike Pitts ‘Hengeworld’ but it seems that the double-ringed stone circle formed the final phase.

A fantastic barrow cemetery known as Overton Hill straddles the A4 right next to the Sanctuary and a further stone circle (now destroyed) was reported in the field behind it – the site of this circle can still be seen when the field has been ploughed.
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The Sanctuary.
The Sanctuary. submitted by JJ : Aerial Photograph copyright JJ Evendon (1 comment - Vote or comment on this photo)

The Sanctuary.
The Sanctuary. submitted by jeffrep : The Sanctuary Near Avebury, Wiltshire, England. (Vote or comment on this photo)

The Sanctuary.
The Sanctuary. submitted by vicky : The site of the Sanctuary at Avebury. (1 comment - Vote or comment on this photo)

The Sanctuary.
The Sanctuary. submitted by DrewParsons : Site sign illustrating how the the wooden posts that once formed part of the site would have looked. April 2015 (1 comment - Vote or comment on this photo)

The Sanctuary.
The Sanctuary. submitted by AngieLake : From the Sanctuary, West Kennet Long Barrow is just visible, in a very small area of sunshine, on the distant hill [slightly above left of centre of this shot]. (Vote or comment on this photo)

The Sanctuary.
The Sanctuary. submitted by AngieLake : Looking into The Sanctuary from the West. 7 May 2010.

The Sanctuary.
The Sanctuary. submitted by croppy : The Sanctuary from the air (1 comment)

The Sanctuary.
The Sanctuary. submitted by JJ : Aerial Photograph copyright JJ Evendon (2 comments)

The Sanctuary.
The Sanctuary. submitted by NDM : The sanctuary

The Sanctuary.
The Sanctuary. submitted by Horatio : The sanctuary, just a shame like the concrete marker posts in Avebury Henge and Woodhenge that these markers aren't that touch bigger (chest height) just to give a much better impression of the site, as only you only really get it if from an aerial view, something that most people who visit will not have. Love this site.

The Sanctuary.
The Sanctuary. submitted by SandyG : View from above and east.

The Sanctuary.
The Sanctuary. submitted by SandyG : View from above and north.

The Sanctuary.
The Sanctuary. submitted by Postman : Winter solstice 2016

The Sanctuary.
The Sanctuary. submitted by poleposition : Love the sanctuary, content to think of it for communal deposition of bodies on top of posts, not for elite barrow burial

The Sanctuary.
The Sanctuary. submitted by DrewParsons : The site sign. April 2015

The Sanctuary.
The Sanctuary. submitted by DrewParsons : View looking west across the post hole markers. April 2015

The Sanctuary.
The Sanctuary. submitted by postman : It's all a bit sad isn't it ? (2 comments)

The Sanctuary.
The Sanctuary. submitted by AngieLake : A useful noticeboard at The Sanctuary, showing the sacred landscape. Each site has a similar one.

The Sanctuary.
The Sanctuary. submitted by AngieLake : The southern section of The Sanctuary in lovely sunshine on 7 May 2010.

The Sanctuary.
The Sanctuary. submitted by AngieLake : The western half of the Sanctuary during a fleeting spell of sunshine on 7 May 2010.

The Sanctuary.
The Sanctuary. submitted by AngieLake : Excuse the tilted angle - I'd waited so long in that layby for the sun to reappear!

The Sanctuary.
The Sanctuary. submitted by TimPrevett : Looking south to the tufted grass (centre in the first field) corresponds with the OS map's location of a stone circle, just beneath The Sanctuary.

The Sanctuary.
The Sanctuary. submitted by TimPrevett : Part of the information board, depicting an artist's impression of what one of the phases of The Sanctuary would have looked like. (1 comment)

The Sanctuary.
The Sanctuary. submitted by hamish : This stone is situated just inside the gateway to the Sancuary. Is it I wonder an Avenue Stone or a Sanctuary Stone.

These are just the first 25 photos of The Sanctuary.. If you log in with a free user account you will be able to see our entire collection.

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Key: Red: member's photo, Blue: 3rd party photo, Yellow: other image, Green: no photo - please go there and take one, Grey: site destroyed

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Nearby sites listing. In the following links * = Image available
 191m NE 43° The Sanctuary Barrows* Barrow Cemetery (SU11966816)
 684m NNW 333° Overton Hill barrow cemetery* Barrow Cemetery (SU11526863)
 847m WNW 282° West Kennet Palisaded Enclosures* Ancient Village or Settlement (SU110682)
 851m SSE 165° East Kennett garden feature* Modern Stone Circle etc (SU12066720)
 1.2km S 190° East Kennett longbarrow* Long Barrow (SU11636684)
 1.2km WNW 286° Silbaby* Misc. Earthwork (SU1062668354)
 1.4km WSW 258° West Kennett Long Barrow* Long Barrow (SU10506774)
 1.5km NNW 327° Falkner's Circle* Stone Circle (SU10986931)
 1.6km W 265° West Kennet Barrow Round Barrow(s) (SU10246788)
 1.7km NW 318° West Kennet Avenue* Multiple Stone Rows / Avenue (SU10696928)
 1.7km SSW 198° Harestone Down* Stone Circle (SU113664)
 1.7km W 273° Swallowhead Spring* Holy Well or Sacred Spring (SU101681)
 1.9km NE 38° Down Barn* Standing Stones (SU12966949)
 1.9km WNW 286° Silbury Hill* Artificial Mound (SU10016853)
 1.9km NW 319° West Kennet Avenue polisher* Polissoir (SU10576947)
 1.9km ESE 103° West Overton Bowl Barrow Round Barrow(s) (SU13736758)
 2.1km N 1° Avebury Down barrow cemetery* Barrow Cemetery (SU11877007)
 2.1km SSW 200° Harestone Down Tumulus* Round Barrow(s) (SU1111766058)
 2.1km WSW 246° Beckhampton Penning circle* Stone Circle (SU09876713)
 2.3km S 181° Langdean Bottom* Stone Circle (SU11806574)
 2.3km NE 36° Pickledean Stone Circle (SU13196988)
 2.4km ENE 76° Piggle Dene* Natural Stone / Erratic / Other Natural Feature (SU14126858)
 2.5km NW 321° Avebury* Stone Circle (SU10266996)
 2.5km NW 322° Avebury - The Cove* Standing Stones (SU10257002)
 2.5km NW 314° Alexander Keiller Museum* Museum (SU100698)
View more nearby sites and additional images

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"The Sanctuary." | Login/Create an Account | 2 News and Comments
  
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Street View by coldrum on Wednesday, 17 March 2010
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Re: The Sanctuary by Anonymous on Tuesday, 04 November 2003
Despite visiting Avebury so many times I'd never bided at the Sanctuary until last Saturday, 31 Aug 2002. It's a sad spot in many ways, mainly the thought of what might once have stood there and the constant rush of the traffic on that dodgy road alongside. But even so I am so glad to have spent a few contemplative minutes there, alone but not lonely, imagining, looking at the remains of the avenue in the distance, getting a new view of the unity of the Avebury landscape. I'll call there each time in future.
Derek
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