Alexander Keiller Museum

The Alexander Keiller Museum sits in Marlborough and tells the story of one man's obsession with archaeology that shaped how we understand Wiltshire's Neolithic past. Keiller was a marmalade magnate who, in the 1920s and 30s, became convinced that the chalk downs around Avebury held secrets. He spent a fortune excavating, cataloguing and photographing everything from pottery shards to standing stones with meticulous detail. Walking through the displays, you're essentially seeing his archive - finds from Windmill Hill, Silbury Hill and West Kennet Avenue laid out with the sort of Victorian precision he brought to everything. It's genuinely fascinating if you care about how archaeology gets done, less so if you're after a quick rattle through some pretty objects. Allow an hour, maybe ninety minutes if you're reading the labels. Families with young kids will probably find it a bit heavy going - there's not much here designed to grab a seven-year-old's attention. But if you're staying at Ridgeway Campsite or Honey Bee Glamping and want to understand what you're actually looking at when you visit Avebury or Silbury Hill, this is proper worth the detour into town. It explains the why behind the stones. The museum gives context that transforms the landscape itself into something you'll read differently on your next walk.