The West Kennett Long barrow and the Silbury Hill
On our quest for white horses and the Avebury stone circle, our route took us past the West Kennett long barrow and the Silbury Hill which is opposite it on the other side of the road. Both of these are only a short drive away from the town of Avebury.
A long barrow is a type of burial site. There are different types of barrows but West Kennett is supposed to have the best example of a long barrow. It's a short walk up a hill where you get a nice view of the countryside thrown in. Inside the barrow you can see about 3-4 empty rooms before you arrive at a dead end. This is because the barrow has been 'bricked' up, that is to say that it got full and so was sealed. We found it interesting and a bit creepy. Surprising there were quite a few other people visiting too.
This is the entry into the barrow.
Inside the barrow it's dark. Of course that fact that it was an overcast and silent day in the middle of a lonely countryside only added to the general eeriness.
On the other side of the road is the Silbury Hill. Not really special looking and quite square-ish but its uniqueness comes from the fact that like Stonehenge it is prehistoric. It is the largest man made prehistoric mound in Europe and like the other monuments no one has a clue as to what it was used for though there are various legends about it two of which can be found at www.stonepages.com/england/silburyhill.html .
