Gobsmacked - Marlborough to Avebury, May 14

He said:
This was our first official day of walking, 6 miles along the Wessex Ridgeway followed by a few miles around Avebury Henge and Stone Circle. A cold, windy day, with a few drops of rain. The good news is that my legs work fine.
I am gobsmacked about the size and age of Avebury, started about 2500BC. I've always wanted to be able to use the word 'gobsmacked' in a sentence, and it seems that you can only do that while being in the UK. The henge is the 10 meter deep circular pit outside the stone circle, it was completed first, henge means an architectural structure using an earthworks. The outer stone circle is 400 meters in diameter, and some of the stones are as heavy as 100 tons. It turns out that Stonehenge is not a henge at all, just a stone circle (a very nice one), but I suppose Stonehenge sounds better. Avebury is the largest stone circle in Europe. It was built in chalk ground under the top soil, at the time it was constructed, all of England was covered in forest.
Those were the days.
By the way, The Lodge B&B where we are staying in Avebury, might be the only place in the world where you can sleep (in a bed) that is within an ancient stone circle, and the Pub where we had dinner: The Red Lion, might be the only restaurant/bar within an ancient stone circle. In can feel the spirits, but we did not see the ghost at the Pub.

She said:
A few last words about Marlborough:
It has the widest High Street in England, bookended by two churches. At one end, the Redundant Church (which means it is no longer used for worship); at the other, Saint Mary's, on the original town green which is ringed with beautiful Georgian homes and a few beautiful 17th and18th century homes as well.
Marlborough had a giant fire in 1620 that destroyed most of the homes (thatched roofs have been banned in Marlborough since then; not so in other towns in Wiltshire) and when it rebuilt it did so to a very high standard - not much riff-raff in Marlborough.
The friendly caretaker guy at the old Town Hall invited us in and showed us around. Most Town Halls in this part of the country are rebuilt every 100 years or so (Marlborough's is no exception.)
The River Kennet flows through Marlborough. It is the largest tributary of the Thames and in the summer, contributes half of the Thames River's flow. Since it flows from a chalk aquifer, the water is naturally purified and delicious. Such clean water also drove the brewing industry in this area (how nice) and it is renown for its brown trout.
There is a very atmospheric Victorian cemetery in Marlborough - I took many photos as I seem to be obsessed with Victorian cemeteries wherever we go (weird.)
We bought half a chicken and some sides at Waitrose (like Safeway) and ate a great, cheap meal in our room. Those of you who have travelled with me know this is one of my favorite ways to eat while on vacation. If the room is big (ours was) and has a view (ours did) and there's a grocery store nearby, $15. beats $100. every time.
The shower at The Ivy House was heavenly.

On to Avebury:
A couple of miles of the path went through a horse stud farm - long "Gallops" fenced in along the path for running the horses.
Walking through Fyfield Downs, we had to get out of the way of a flock of sheep being herded from one field to the next. They really do follow each other blindly and create a wall of motion that pretty much can't be stopped (egged on by their sheep-herding dog.)
Fyfield Downs is an area of great geologic interest in England - strewn with Sarsen stones, the stones used at Stonehenge and most other stone circles in this area.
Speaking of stone circles - Avebury Stone Circle is impressive. It is a World Heritage Sight and rightly so. As part of England's National Trust, it is beautifully maintained though this is surprising as it is open to the the public 24 hours a day, every day of the year. You can walk amongst the stones and touch them to your heart's content. There is no litter and no graffiti. John Farrow, our National Trust guide, had many tidbits to share (900 stone circles in England, Avebury is actually circles within circles, heaviest weighs 100 tons, Avebury stones are larger than the stones at Stonehenge, but because Avebury's have no lintels, Stonehenge gets all the press, etc., etc., etc.,) The stones at Avebury have not been shaped or carved in any way. They are Sarsen stones that were originally under a tropical sea at one time in our earth's wacky past and even show holes from ancient mangrove roots that grew through them. Hopefully our pictures show some of the mystery - otherwise they must be seen in person to be believed.
A short walk from the Circle is Silbury Hill - possibly a burial site but the better story is that it was an ancient pilgrimage site and pilgrim's carried handfulls of soil from whence they came and deposited them at the Hill, actually making the Hill quite tall. Those crazy neolithic guys!
The Lodge in Avebury is our B+B - the original home of the original Lord Avebury. Posh in an eclectic, jumbled way. And, vegetarian. Who knew? But , they only serve breakfast, so we're off to The Red Lion, two doors down, for a pub dinner and a couple of pints. The Red Lion is one of the most haunted sights in Britain. The proprietor threw his wife and her boyfriend down the well, they died, he hung, and she still haunts the place. Can't wait!
Cheerio -
EB
(Check out the pictures. Mur, John and Linny - horse chestnut trees in full bloom galore here. Shades of Workman Ave.!)

link to the May 14 photos