Re: Henges | Forum — The Modern Antiquarian

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Littlestone Aug 6, 2005 23:18:34

Replying to PeterH

>Think about it - where is the water going to be drawn from?<

Pete G knows more about this than I do but from info he's posted in the past there are several wells within the Avebury circle and a streamlet that runs alongside Green Street, down Avebury High Street (past the post office and Henge Shop) and presumably on towards the Winterbourne. I'm not saying these wells and stream were enough to supply the Avebury ditch with water (for a moat) but simply that there is/was a constant and fairly abundant supply of water <i>within</i> the Avebury circle. As you say, a seasonal moat perhaps is a possibility - such as the seasonal lake around Silbury.

I

Ishmael Aug 6, 2005 23:39:10

Replying to Littlestone

Harold st george grey found no evidence of silting or water in the bottom of the ditch when he excavated circa 1908.
The wells within Avebury are very deep now (Look down the well in the Keiller room in the red lion)
If the ditch was Cleaned every year then there would have been evidence of silting after it was abandoned and started to fill up.
Burl reckons that the winterbourne was not there when the beckhampton avenue was built but I find this hard to comprehend.
The depth of the ditch was astonishing. Some of the chalk was used as packing for the stones of the outer circle making the ditch earlier than the outer part of the circle.
Looking at Norths' work recently I am thinking now in terms of astronomical observation from the bottom of the ditch.
Wotcha reckon?