198 THE BATH ROAD 



so-Ccalled " Druid Temple " at Avebury, a monumeut 

 second only to Stonehenge in mystery, and a good 

 deal more impressive in appearance ; while, frowning- 

 down upon the highway, and standing immediately 

 beside it, is that " greatest earthwork in Europe," 

 Silbury Hill. 



Avebury village stands on the road to Swindon, on 

 the borders of Marlborough Downs, and has been 

 built within a great circle which appears to have 

 been approached by an avenue of standing stones. 

 A few of these may still be observed, standing beside 

 the hedgeless road. Some idea of the vast size and 

 impressive aspect of this circular monument of those 

 dim ages before history began may be obtained when 

 it is said that it consists of an excavation 40 feet 

 deep and 4442 feet in circumference, encircled on 

 the outer side with an earthwork 40 feet high, the 

 whole enclosing nearly 29 acres. Oq the inner 

 brink of this deep fosse there are now left thirty- 

 five huge stones out of the original number of 

 about one thousand. Nine of these are upriglit, ten 

 thrown down, and sixteen buried. Traces of pits 

 show where the farmers of many years ago dug up 

 the others and took them away for building-stones 

 or gateposts. Over six hundred and fifty others are 

 known to have been destroyed, the cottages of Ave- 

 bury and the roads having been built of their frag- 

 ments. How the unknown builders of this weird 

 place could have brought these huge rocks, some of 

 them measuring fourteen feet in length, and all weigh- 

 ing many tons a-piece, from unguessed distances, 

 remains a mystery. 



