Sunrise at West Kennett Long Barrow - a photo on Flickriver

            A gentle dawn stroll through the Wiltshire countryside to the West Kennet Long Barrow.

The long barrow is situated on a ridge opposite Silbury Hill, about 1.5 miles from UNESCO stone circle site at Avebury. It dates back to around 3700-3600BC. 

The purpose of long barrows were primarily as places of burial but also as focal points for rituals. Rituals are still enacted today amongst followers of earth religions. Many see barrows as a door to another world - a liminal, a place of intense spiritual awareness. The remains of offerings are frequently found within: fruit, flowers, corn, candles and incense are a reminder of how important the barrow is to some.

The barrow itself is 104m (341ft) long by 2.4m (8ft) high, making it one of the longest barrows of its kind in Britain. It was originally flanked on three sides by a ditch approximately 3m (10ft) deep by 6m (20ft) wide. Dug from solid chalk, this impressive mound would have, on completion, stood out stark white on the hillside. 

At some point a semi-circular forecourt was added to the entrance which faces east/west, an alignment that at first light would catch the rising sun illuminating the barrows interior. Around 2500-2200BC for reasons unknown, the tomb was filled with chalk and soil and its entrance sealed with giant sarsen stones. 

This would seem a final gesture; a transformation, possible from one belief to another. The sealing of the tomb was also at a time when work began erecting the world-renown stone circle at Avebury

The barrow, which is now part of the Neolithic Avebury complex, is one of the most visited and best preserved burial mounds in Britain. It may also claim to having one of the oldest hauntings in the country, possibly the world.

Taken in: UK / England / Avebury / Avebury (show map)

Taken on: January 31, 2021

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Sets appears in: • Wiltshire • Avebury

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