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Stanton Drew 

Stone Circles, Avon

• Nearest town: Bristol
• Nearest village: Stanton Drew
• OS Map: 172
• OS Map reference: ST 601634

A close-up of one
of the stones
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These circles cover a large area so it is difficult to appreciate their grandeur.

There are two main circles, the Great Circle, diameter 113m, and the North-east Circle (30m). The former is the second largest in Britain after Avebury. There are also random blocks which were apparently once part of two avenues similar to the West Kennet Avenue at Avebury. Cattle are kept in the field with the stones, making for plenty of cow-pats! There is a third circle of eleven stones nearby on private land.

The name Stanton is derived from the Angle-Saxon "stan' (stone) 'tun' (farm). The site has not been excavated, but it is believed to be the same age as the Avebury circles. In the news in 1998 was the discovery of concentric post-hole rings inside the main circle. These showed up on a geophysical survey carried out by English Heritage with new, more sensitive magnetic instruments. They indicate that once there was a massive timber henge or building here.

For more details:

• English Heritage Ancient Monuments Laboratory - The original survey results, plans and comprehensive information about the recent discovery
• Stone Pages page on Stanton Drew
• Online Telegraph: `Discovered: 5,000-year-old wooden temple as important as Stonehenge'
• The Times: `Woodhenge find rivals stone circles: 5,000-year-old temple `start of British habit'' 
• Thanks to the invaluable Council for British Archaeology press cuttings service and the Britarch Mailing list
  

The site has two legends common to many stone circles; a 'revellers turned to stone' story and the supposed impossibility of counting the stones.

Some distance away in the same village is The Cove.

Stanton Drew:

• high-res images.
• high-res aerial photos
• animated GIF fly-by (178k)
•  
• Access: Stanton Drew is 9km south of Bristol, off the B3130. Travelling south into the village, fork left at the centre of the village. There should be a small signpost here. Turn left after 50m and follow the road through a small housing estate to Court Farm. There is an admission fee of a pound.
  Click here for full page map (use your browser's "back" button to come back)
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  Rating: General Impression 4, Ambience 3, Access 3
  

Thanks to Andy Summers (above) for the extra Stanton Drew photos

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