Marlborough in West Kennet in Wiltshire, England, United Kingdom — Northwestern Europe (the British Isles)
Welcome to the Avebury World Heritage Site
Photographed by Tracy Andersen Roberts, May 16, 2026
1. Welcome to the Avebury World Heritage Site Marker
Welcome to the Avebury World Heritage Site
You are now on the approach path to the viewing area for Silbury Hill, the largest prehistoric mound in Europe.
The Avebury area contains a cluster of outstanding monuments dating to the Neolithic period and Bronze Age. This was a significant place for prehistoric people, who gathered here to build monuments made of earth, timber and stone for over 2,000 years.
Overlooked by one of the oldest monuments, West Kennet long barrow, and located between the recently constructed henge at Avebury and the timber enclosures at West Kennet, Silbury Hill was the last major monument to be built in this landscape during the late Neolithic period, in about 2300 BC. This was a period of great change in southern England, when people with new ideas and objects were beginning to arrive from Continental Europe.
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Right: Sir John Lubbock (1834-1913), a banker, politician, scientist and archaeologist, was instrumental in preserving Silbury Hill. In 1871, when parts of Avebury henge were being sold for building plots, he purchased them to protect them from development. Two years
this page online
Lubbock campaigned for a decade to introduce the Ancient Monuments Act of 1882. This set out the first 'schedule' of prehistoric monuments, laying the foundations for all future heritage protection. The 5th Lord Avebury, great-grandson of Sir John Lubbock, still owns Silbury Hill.
The major Neolithic and Bronze Age monuments of the Stonehenge and Avebury World Heritage Site are jointly managed by the National Trust and English Heritage. The sites at Avebury are all within walking distance of each other, so why not take time to explore on foot? The Alexander Keiller Museum in the centre of Avebury sells guidebooks and has more information about this important landscape.
Please do not Climb Silbury Hill
There is no public access, as erosion caused by visitors could easily damage the fragile archaeology and rare chalk grassland. If you leave your vehicle in this car park, please keep valuables out of sight. Willful damage to this monument is a crime. Metal detecting, smoking, commercial photography and drone use are prohibited.
National Trust
United National Educational Scientific
Photographed by Tracy Andersen Roberts, May 16, 2026
2. Welcome to the Avebury World Heritage Site marker with addl marker and Silbury Hill visible to rear
Stonehenge, Avebury and Associated Sites inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1986.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Anthropology & Archaeology • Parks & Recreational Areas • Religion & Religious Structures.
Location. 51° 24.968′ N, 1° 51.707′ W. Marker is in West Kennet, England, in Wiltshire. It is in Marlborough. It is on A4, on the right when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: West Kennet, England SN8 1QH, United Kingdom. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in South West England. Globally, it is on the Atlantic Ocean, in the North Atlantic Region, in Europe, in Atlantic Europe, on one of the British Isles, in the Western World, and in the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Roman Empire.
Other nearby markers. At least 4 other markers are within 18 kilometers of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Silbury Hill (within shouting distance of this marker); GWR Park (approx. 16.8 kilometers away); The Railway Church
Photographed by Tracy Andersen Roberts, May 16, 2026
3. Welcome to the Avebury World Heritage Site marker as seen from car park
Also see . . . UNESCO: Stonehenge, Avebury and Associated Sites. Stonehenge and Avebury, in Wiltshire, are among the most famous groups of megaliths in the world. The two sanctuaries consist of circles of menhirs arranged in a pattern whose astronomical significance is still being explored. These holy places and the nearby Neolithic sites are an incomparable testimony to prehistoric times. (Submitted on May 25, 2026, by Tracy Andersen Roberts of Atlanta, Georgia.)
Credits. This page was last revised on May 26, 2026. It was originally submitted on May 25, 2026, by Tracy Andersen Roberts of Atlanta, Georgia. This page has been viewed 15 times since then. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on May 25, 2026, by Tracy Andersen Roberts of Atlanta, Georgia. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.
