Avebury Circle henge View all content for Avebury

Avebury, Silbury and West Kennet : AN AERIAL VIEW, 25 Nov 2001: Am I the luckiest girl alive? A wonderful now-ex-colleague who only recently got his private pilot's licence asked me if I'd like to go flying with him one afternoon and where would I like to go? Ummm, Avebury, perhaps!? We took off in a tiny Grummond(?) Tiger from Blackbushe Airport in Hampshire and flew for 20 minutes west. From 2000 feet Jim navigated us towards Marlborough, a splendid town, and I navigated us by eye from hereon, following the road west, pointing out the unmistakable hump of Silbury which utterly dominates the landscape, even from 2000 feet. We flew towards it, then Jim sought permission for us to drop to 1000 feet to circle Avebury, which was granted and we banked sharply round to the right following the line of the avenue. Jim opened the hatch so I could take some photos. And although it was freezing and my hair blew around like a mad woman... What a buzz! My God! I hardly knew where to look - to see the village so familiar to me swirl around below, those gorgeous and huge beech trees, even from 1000 feet looking as impressive as they do on the ground, and the fantastic achievements of the builders of Avebury; the ditches; the banks; the rhythm of the stones; the low winter sunshine filtering over the undulating land..... To have witnessed this most sacred of places from the viewpoint of an soaring eagle is a priviledge I can hardly express. Thank you SO MUCH, Captain Mc, my mind has been blown. Yes, I am the luckiest girl alive!

Posted by Jane 1st December 2001ce

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