By William Long, Esq., M.A. 331 



remains standing, near Longstone Cove."^ Describing the course of 

 the avenue from the cove towards its end, he says, " The avenue con- 

 tinu'd its journey hj the corn-fields. Three stones lie still by the 

 field-road coming from South street to the Cain road. Mr. Alex- 

 ander told me he remember'd several stones standing by the parting 

 of the roads under Bekamton, dcmolish'd by Richard Fowler. Then 

 it descends by the road to Cherill, till it comes to the Bath road, 

 close by the Roman road, and there in the low valley it terminates, 

 near a fine group of barrows, under Cherill-hill, in the way to Old- 

 bury-camp; this is west of Bekamton village." .... "In this 

 very point only you can see the temple on Overton Hill, on the 

 south side of Silbury Hill. Here I am sufficiently satisfied this 

 avenue terminated, at the like distance from Abury-town, as Over- 

 ton Hill was, in the former avenue; 100 stones on a side, 6000 

 cubits in length, ten stadia or the eastern mile. Several stones are 

 left dispersedly on banks and meres of the lands. One great stone 

 belonging to this end of the avenue, lies buried almost under 

 ground, in the plow'd land between the barrow west of Longstone 

 long barrow, and the last hedge in the town of Bekamton. Richard 

 Fowler shew'd me the ground here, whence he took several stones 

 and dcmolish'd them. I am equally satisfied there was no temple 

 or circle of stones at this end of it " . . . . Had there been, "it would 

 most assuredly have been well known, because every stone was 

 dcmolish'd within memory when I was there. I apprehend this 

 end of the avenue drew narrower in imitation of the tail of a snake, 

 and that one stone stood in the middle of the end, by way of 

 close."2 



I have been more particular in giving a full account of this 

 avenue, as the question naturally arises, how far should Aubrey's 

 silence respecting the Beckhampton avenue afiect our faith in Stuke- 

 ley's description of it ?^ Aubrey and Dr. Musgrave, both mention 



' This stone, the solitary remnant of the Beckhampton avenue, is still stand- 

 ing (1857). It is shown to the N. of the Cove Stone in the large ground plan, 

 and it is figured in ' Ancient Wilts,' ii. pi. xv. 2. 



* Stukelcy's Abury, pp. .'J4, 35, 36, and plates i., xxiv., and xxv. 



' It is possible that llr. E. Philips's information (see p. 317) may have referred 

 to some of the buildings in the neighbourhood of 'South Street', on the line of 

 this avenue. 



