Whenever Wiltshire pops into my head, Stonehenge is usually the first thing I picture. But honestly, this county has so much more for anyone who’s even a little bit curious about ancient history.
Wiltshire is packed with prehistoric sites, each offering a window into how people lived thousands of years ago. The gentle hills and quiet little villages seem to hide stone circles, burial mounds, and odd monuments that are just as intriguing as the standing stones everyone knows.
I’ve wandered Wiltshire beyond Stonehenge and stumbled across places like Avebury and The Sanctuary that really blew me away. These ancient sites tell stories about early people and the way they shaped the land. Each one has its own strange beauty and mystery, which makes Wiltshire a dream for anyone wanting to travel far back in time.
The Rich Prehistoric Landscape of Wiltshire
Wiltshire has some of the most important prehistoric sites in England. These places show how people built, gathered, and lived thousands of years ago.
Overview of Prehistoric Periods in Wiltshire
Wiltshire feels like a living timeline of the Stone Age, Bronze Age, and Iron Age. During the Neolithic period (about 4000–2500 BC), people began farming and started building stone circles and big burial mounds like Avebury and West Kennet Long Barrow.
The Bronze Age (about 2500–800 BC) brought better tools and new building styles. Barrows—those earth mounds for burials—became common. Then around 800 BC, the Iron Age kicked in, and people built hillforts like Old Sarum. Villages started to grow.
Each era left its own marks across Wiltshire. These layers help me imagine how ancient people changed the land, bit by bit.
Significance of Wiltshire’s Neolithic and Bronze Age Sites
Some of the world’s most famous prehistoric sites sit right here. Sure, Stonehenge grabs the headlines, but the smaller circles at Avebury or the mysterious Silbury Hill are just as captivating. These sites, built during the Neolithic and Bronze Age, show off the planning and teamwork of ancient communities.
What always gets me is how these people moved and placed massive stones without anything close to modern machinery. They shaped chalk barrows, dug huge ditches, and set up marker stones with so much care.
These monuments weren’t just for show. People lined them up with the sun, moon, or stars, so they probably used them for rituals or even as calendars. Avebury isn’t just the world’s largest stone circle—it once connected to other sites by long stone avenues. Every site I visit teaches me something new about the beliefs and skills of their builders.
Insights from Archaeological Excavation
Archaeologists have uncovered thousands of prehistoric artefacts across Wiltshire. Through pottery shards, polished axes, and delicate beads, I get a sense of what ancient life was like.
At The Sanctuary on Overton Hill, concrete markers now show where wooden and stone circles once stood. Each dig reveals details about the animals people kept and how they used the land.
Burial mounds, or tumuli, have given up skeletons with jewelry, flint tools, and even fragments of ancient textiles. These discoveries make prehistoric Wiltshire feel more real—almost like peering through a window into a world that’s long gone.
Avebury: The Heart of Prehistoric Wiltshire
Avebury is a wild place—massive, mysterious, and the largest stone circle on Earth. The whole area is layered with ancient history, from dramatic earthworks to treasures at the Alexander Keiller Museum.
Exploring the Avebury Henge
Walking into Avebury, I find myself surrounded by enormous stones set in a wide earthwork henge. Unlike Stonehenge, you can wander right up to the stones—touch them, lean on them, even picnic beside them if you want. The main stone circle stretches about 330 meters across, making it much bigger than most circles in Britain.
People built the Avebury henge over 4,000 years ago, during the Neolithic period. They probably used it for ceremonies and big gatherings. The earthwork bank and ditch still stand, making the place feel ancient and alive.
The National Trust manages this spot now, and it’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The henge gives visitors a rare chance to get close to prehistory. Historians say the layout and size show how important Avebury was to ancient communities.
The Avebury Complex and Surrounding Monuments
Avebury isn’t just a single circle. Inside the main ring, I spot two smaller circles, and long stone avenues stretch out, connecting the henge to other sites like The Sanctuary and West Kennet Avenue.
Nearby, the West Kennet Long Barrow—an enormous chambered tomb—waits just a short walk away. Silbury Hill, the largest prehistoric mound in Europe, stands close by and adds to the sense that this whole landscape was built for something big.
All these monuments together form the Avebury complex. The way the circles, avenues, tombs, and mounds connect is unique in Britain. Exploring the whole area gives me a stronger sense of Wiltshire’s distant past.
Alexander Keiller Museum: Discoveries and Displays
Right next to the Avebury stones, the Alexander Keiller Museum sits in the village. It’s packed with discoveries from digs during the 20th century. Alexander Keiller, who was both an archaeologist and a businessman, played a huge part in uncovering and saving Avebury and its monuments.
Inside the museum, I find pottery, tools, and ancient artifacts from the World Heritage Site. The displays explain how Avebury was built and used over thousands of years. I get a glimpse of what daily life might have looked like for Neolithic people.
There are interactive exhibits, and the staff always seem happy to share facts about the folks who shaped this landscape. Visiting the museum before or after the stones just makes everything click into place.
West Kennet Long Barrow and Silbury Hill: Neolithic Marvels
West Kennet Long Barrow and Silbury Hill are two of Wiltshire’s oldest and most impressive ancient landmarks. Both date back to the Neolithic period and show off the early engineering skills and beliefs of their builders.
Visiting West Kennet Long Barrow
The walk to West Kennet Long Barrow takes me across fields to a grassy mound over 100 meters long. It stands alone on a ridge, about 850 meters southeast of Silbury Hill. Even from a distance, the mound’s shape is hard to miss.
The entrance leads into a dark chamber lined with huge stones. Inside, smaller burial chambers branch off, once holding the remains of nearly 50 people. Stepping inside, I feel the weight of the years and the purpose of this ancient tomb.
There’s no visitor center, so I always pack a flashlight and sturdy shoes. The site is open year-round and doesn’t cost a thing to visit. It’s quiet, peaceful, and a perfect spot for photos or just soaking up the atmosphere.
Mysteries of Silbury Hill
Silbury Hill looms beside the road, silent and strange. At 40 meters high, it’s the biggest prehistoric mound in Europe. No one really knows why people built it, but archaeologists say it took thousands of hours of work and careful planning.
I’m always amazed thinking about the sheer amount of earth people moved to build Silbury Hill around 2400 BC. The sides are smooth, and the top is flat, so it looks different from the natural hills nearby. They haven’t found tombs or temples inside, so the purpose is still a mystery.
Some say Silbury Hill served as a ritual site, others think it marked a special spot in the landscape. The not-knowing is part of what makes visiting so fascinating.
Burial Customs and Chambered Tombs
West Kennet Long Barrow stands out as one of the best-preserved Neolithic chambered tombs in England. Early farming communities used these places to bury their dead. I’m always struck by the careful way they placed the stones to create rooms for the remains.
The design usually has a main passage with side chambers. At West Kennet, the bones of men, women, and children were buried together, hinting at family or community connections. Eventually, people sealed the tomb, ending its use for burials.
Neolithic people built other long barrows across Wiltshire, but West Kennet is the biggest and best kept. The site gives me a glimpse into ancient beliefs about death and the world beyond. There’s a sense of ritual and respect for ancestors in every stone.
Old Sarum and Wiltshire’s Iconic Hillforts
Wiltshire’s landscape is dotted with ancient hillforts from the Iron Age. These sites help me understand how people defended and organized their lives before anyone wrote things down.
Old Sarum: From Prehistory to Present
Old Sarum rises on a hill just north of Salisbury. People first settled here over 2,000 years ago, building a huge Iron Age hillfort. Later, it became home to a Norman castle and an early cathedral before the city of Salisbury moved south.
When I walk around Old Sarum, I see massive earthworks—huge ditches and banks that once protected the people living inside. The site’s layers of history, from ancient times to the medieval period, make it different from any other hillfort I’ve visited.
You can still spot the remains of the old castle and cathedral foundations. Today, Old Sarum is open to everyone and offers wide views across the Wiltshire countryside.
Figsbury Ring and Bratton Camp
Figsbury Ring sits northeast of Salisbury. It’s known for its double bank and deep ditch system. Unlike Old Sarum, there’s no sign of permanent buildings inside. The earthworks themselves are the main attraction, forming a big circle that probably hosted gatherings or served as defense.
Bratton Camp is perched on a ridge above the Westbury White Horse. It’s another Iron Age site and a great example of a hilltop fort with a steep drop for natural protection. The winds up there are strong, and the open views must have helped defenders spot trouble early.
Both sites offer a peek into how Iron Age people used high ground for safety. They’re usually quieter than Old Sarum and have their own special vibe.
Hillforts and Their Role in Iron Age Society
Hillforts like Old Sarum, Figsbury Ring, and Bratton Camp played big roles in Iron Age life. I see them as both defensive strongholds and community gathering spots. The strong earthworks protected families, food, and animals during raids.
Many hillforts also became places for trade and meetings. Their high positions made them visible for miles, marking territory and power. Most weren’t permanent towns, but their size shows how much security mattered back then.
Visiting these sites helps me appreciate how ancient Wiltshire’s people lived, worked, and defended themselves so long ago.
Beyond Stonehenge: Hidden Prehistoric Gems
Wiltshire is stacked with ancient wonders that go way beyond Stonehenge. These sites reveal how people gathered, built, and lived across the county. If you ever get the chance, don’t just stop at the famous stones—there’s a whole prehistoric world waiting to be explored.
Woodhenge and Durrington Walls
Woodhenge is just a short drive from Stonehenge, but it feels worlds apart. Instead of towering stones, you’ll find concrete markers outlining where massive wooden posts once stood, forming a huge circle.
People believe Woodhenge dates back to around 2500 BC. Maybe it hosted ceremonies, gatherings, or something else entirely—nobody knows for sure.
Durrington Walls sits nearby and honestly, it’s even bigger than Stonehenge. Imagine a vast earthwork, with a deep ditch and a tall bank stretching out nearly a mile wide.
Archaeologists think Durrington Walls was a bustling settlement, possibly where Stonehenge’s builders actually lived. I can’t help but feel amazed by the sheer scale of these ancient sites.
Walking the paths at both places, I try to picture what life looked like with towering wooden structures and busy communities. The signs scattered around help, but it’s the atmosphere that really brings it to life.
The Sanctuary and Windmill Hill
The Sanctuary, tucked east of Avebury near Marlborough, once held both wooden and stone circles. Now, only concrete posts hint at what stood here long ago.
This spot served as a major stopping point, linked to Avebury by an ancient avenue. Archaeologists figure it drew people for rituals and ceremonies over thousands of years.
Windmill Hill rises on a high ridge, offering sweeping views across the countryside. It’s the largest known causewayed enclosure in Britain, which is pretty wild to think about.
Those massive earthwork rings? People started building them around 3700 BC, and they added to them over time. Archaeologists have dug up pottery, animal bones, even human burials here.
Visiting these places gives me a glimpse into the complexity of Neolithic life in Wiltshire. Both The Sanctuary and Windmill Hill are easy to wander on foot, and honestly, they feel peaceful compared to the crowds at bigger sites.
Other Noteworthy Sites: Devil’s Den and Imber
Devil’s Den sits quietly in a field near Marlborough. It’s a Neolithic burial chamber built from huge sarsen stones.
Not many stones remain upright, but the capstone is still there—massive and impressive. Local legends swirl around the place, claiming the devil himself built the chamber overnight.
Imber, on the other hand, is a deserted village hidden in the heart of Salisbury Plain. Most of the time, the military keeps it closed off, but sometimes they open it up for visitors.
You’ll spot traces of prehistoric activity here too, with barrows and ancient earthworks dotting the landscape. When I wander through places like Devil’s Den or Imber, I feel that deep connection to Wiltshire’s ancient roots.
Exploring these sites gives me a sense of the lives and beliefs of people who once called this land home.
Folklore, Legacy, and Modern Day Wiltshire
Wiltshire’s prehistoric sites have sparked legends and stories for centuries. Careful preservation and thoughtful visitor planning keep these landmarks open to all, while protecting their unique history.
Ancient Folklore and Local Legends
Wiltshire is absolutely packed with stories that make the past feel alive. Stonehenge and Avebury, for example, are at the heart of so many myths—giants, wizards, magical ceremonies. Some say Merlin, the legendary wizard, built Stonehenge using his powers.
There’s an old tale that the stones walk to the river for a drink at night. Silbury Hill? Wrapped in mystery too. People whisper about a buried king and a golden statue hidden inside, though no one’s ever found it.
These stories still shape how people see Wiltshire’s ancient landmarks. Folklore blends with history, and every visit feels a little bit magical.
World Heritage and Preservation
Stonehenge, Avebury, and several other sites in Wiltshire have UNESCO World Heritage status. The National Trust and English Heritage do a great job managing conservation, sharing information, and keeping these places safe.
Strict rules tell you where you can walk and what you can touch, all to protect ancient artifacts and sensitive ground. Not far away, Salisbury boasts its own treasures—Salisbury Cathedral holds one of the surviving copies of the Magna Carta.
Places like Wilton House and Lacock add another layer to Wiltshire’s story. These preserved estates offer a fuller picture of the region’s past and show how the landscape has changed over the centuries.
Visitor Tips and Planning Your Prehistoric Tour
If you’re heading to Wiltshire, planning ahead really pays off. I usually grab tickets for big sites like Stonehenge online—trust me, the crowds in summer can get wild.
Guided tours? They’re worth considering. Local guides don’t just rattle off facts; they’ll share stories you probably wouldn’t hear otherwise.
Families might want to check out Longleat. Besides its historic spots, there’s a safari park that kids (and honestly, adults too) tend to love.
Don’t forget comfortable shoes. A lot of these landmarks sit out in the open, so you’ll be walking across fields and countryside.
And, well, English weather is famous for changing its mind. I always toss a raincoat in my bag, just in case.
The National Trust and English Heritage visitor centers come in handy for updated info, maps, and finding a bathroom when you need one.
If you want a quieter vibe, try places like West Kennet Long Barrow or The Sanctuary. They’re less crowded, and wandering around there feels a bit like discovering a secret.
