Elements of Avebury

The stone circle at Avebury is genuinely massive - far bigger than Stonehenge, though far less famous. You can walk right up to the megaliths, touch them, stand between them. No barriers, no rope-offs. The circle measures 1,000 feet across and was raised around 2500 BC, which puts most things into perspective.

What you're actually doing is wandering through a Neolithic monument that swallows the village whole. Some stones are taller than houses. Others have toppled or been broken by medieval farmers who reckoned the site was blasphemous. The village pub sits practically inside the circle, which is either brilliant or sacrilege depending on your view of archaeology.

Historians and Bronze Age enthusiasts will spend hours here tracing the avenues that once connected to smaller circles. Families with young children get a solid hour out of it - kids enjoy the scramble and the sense of scale - but it's not a hands-on experience. Walkers absolutely should do this if you're in the area; the surrounding chalk downs are excellent for longer routes.

It's free to wander, open all hours. Marlborough sits just five miles south and makes a sensible base. The nearby holiday parks - Ridgeway Campsite and Honey Bee Glamping are both highly rated - put you within easy reach. Allow at least an hour on site, longer if you're exploring the avenues. Spring or autumn beats summer when crowds thicken and the light gets murky by mid-afternoon.