Avebury Manor

By Emma Kirkup

Avebury forms part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site with Stonehenge. What people often don’t know about Avebury is that the stone circle is open and you can walk right up to the stones, picnic amongst them and access them at any time. Avebury is also different to Stonehenge in that there is a village within the stones.

I have explored the stone circle on several occasions before but I had never been to Avebury Manor and Gardens, which featured in the BBC programme ‘The Manor Reborn’ a couple of years ago.

The manor has been transformed by both the National Trust and the BBC and each room of the manor that’s open to the general public has been or is gradually being restored in a different style.

The day I visited the school holidays had just begun and there was amazing weather which brought out lots of families to the manor and gardens. What’s great about the manor is that the rooms have been set out in a way in which they actively encourage interaction with the artefacts and furniture. Gone are the days of cordons and ‘don’t touch’ signs, children were loving the fact that they could sit at the tables pretending they were in a Tudor parlour or have a go at mixing flour in the kitchen. If they wanted to they could even have a go at the strategically placed washing up on the side of the sink!

It wasn’t just the children that I heard speaking positively about the manor. There was lots of reminiscing going on from adults who remembered having certain items in their households from their youth.

I was really surprised to see just how extensive the grounds of Avebury Manor were. There is even a kitchen garden where you can see various vegetables, fruits and flowers growing. There are large lawned areas and benches dotted around so you can take in the views and the peace.

After exploring the gardens and taking many a photo I headed to the shade of the Alexander Keiller Museum – set in a thatched barn in the village. This museum is interactive and details the history of Avebury with particular references to the excavations that Keiller made in the 1930s. There is information on nearby archaeological and historical sites including Windmill Hill, Silbury Hill and the West Kennet Long Barrow.

Outside there were lots of people enjoying a cream tea or an ice cream in the café or on the lawned areas. The National Trust had set up giant Connect 4 and draughts that families were happily playing with and there were lots of foreign visitors exploring the stone circle too. There’s a lot to see and do here!

Find out how to get to Avebury by public transport, foot or bike on the Connecting Wiltshire website.