Hellstone

 

The Hell Stone. Although referred too as a dolmen, I'm not sure the Hellstone is one, they're not a common monument type for this region, being more customarily found further west and in Wales.  Of course that doesn't mean it isn't. Though I believe it's more likely the remains of an Neolithic chambered long barrow (a monument type typical to the region) reconstructed in 1866 using a degree of wishful thinking. Still, cool site.

West Kennet Barrow

A trip to Avebury isn't complete without a visit to West Kennet Long barrow; prominently sited in the landscape it's the Neolithic equivalent of 'get orf  moi land'. Of all the sites in the Avebury complex it's always been West Kennet that's most captured my imagination.

 

Cursus Barrow

It's been a while since I've walked over Martin Down, it's a stunning landscape. It's a landscape steeped in history too. The seasonal nakedness of the trees allows for a clearer look at some of downs oldest monuments, here a group of Neolithic Long Barrows which cluster around the north-eastern terminal end of Dorset Cursus. These would have been collective burial monuments, chambered bone houses, with the interned bones often sorted by type. There is evidence from some Long Barrows of the bones having been removed then returned.

Stoney Littleton

The first time I visited Stoney Littleton Neolithic long barrow it was in a poor state, the roof had partially collapsed and access was reduced to only a couple of meters; the second time I visited the entrance was completely blocked off. That was over 15 years ago; today the long barrow has been restored and you can access the whole structure, a long central passage with 6 paired side chambers and one terminal chamber. What a great site. Built around 3500BC in the Neolithic period, the construction of the passage and chambers is drystone corbeling on large base stones, the passage and chambers are all under a meter wide, with low ceilings; these features are built into a 30m long trapezoidal earthen long mound of medium height, itself faced with drystone walling; the entrance is of large stone blocks, one containing a fossil ammonite, set in a drystone facade. An interesting note is that the entrance is aligned so that at the midwinter sunrise, the Sun will shine down the central passage.  In the terminal chamber were the remains of recent activity: candles, flowers, photos and messages marked the passing of a loved one; there may been ashes too, I didn't pry or enter the chamber. You read a lot of complaints about rubbish being left at or in archaeological sites, and a lot of them are well justified; this though I felt was different, it wasn't beer cans or food wrappers; these were the remains of a deposition or ritual for a dead loved one and to my mind totally in keeping with the primary purpose for which the monument had been constructed. As an archaeologist, and as long as undertaken with respect and no damage is done, I fully endorse actions like these; as a pagan, assuming the same caveats as before, I fully endorse actions like these; and more than that, I believe that our ancestors who constructed these sites would endorse such continued use. The details of the practice/ritual may differ, as they do when we celebrate our seasonal observances at other prehistoric/historic site; for me that's not what's important, more important is the continuity of use of these sites, our motivations and the ways which we use them, which, in essence, I believe enjoy more similarities than differences with our ancestors and which I'm certain they would recognize and sympathetically endorse. 

If you're in the area, and you can find it, it's well worth a visit.