The location of the small ditch I previously found and called Feature 12.
Its exact location, on What Three Words, is striving.remarking.ember.
I now think it lies on the bank of the north outer ditch, by Feature 6.
It is not directly related to the Causewayed Enclosure, but provides a useful reference point.
I revisited this site on 15/9/26.
Having compared the feature I found to Lidar, I now believe it to be a distinct feature not directly related to the Causewayed Enclosure, but I have identified its exact location on What Three Words, which enables me to conclude that the path I previously said runs between the inner and outer banks, actually runs along the outer ditch of the outer bank.
I am relabelling the relevant pictures accordingly.
Considering the fact that a large long-barrow and large round-barrow on the hill above seem to “address” the space on which the Long Man stands, 15 years ago I allowed myself to speculate what the view of the Long Man might have looked like 5000 years ago.
I have now used AI to tone down a speculative hill figure from the original.
This is during the Neolithic. The newly created long-barrow can be seen, as well as sky-burials nearby, preparatory to their remains being added to the barrow.
1975 aerial photo of Offham Hill Causewayed Enclosure and a fairly crude attempt to use AI to give a similar view of its early stages, let’s say around 3500 bce.
Overlay of image of the 1976 excavation over locations of World War 2 slit trenches, marked by purple diamonds.
Lidar image with associated barrows and without undergrowth.
My Great Grandfather John Richard Fisher, aged 57, his Niece Gertie Fisher, Daughter Rosie Fisher, aged 3, and half a horse at the southern edge of the Southern Inner Circle at Avebury in 1906.
And his great grandson (me), aged 59, on August 10th 2026.
120 years later
I believe John and I are standing next to Stone 103, which the rest of the horse is behind, while Gertie and Rosie are sitting on the yet-to-be re-erected Stone 102, which is standing in the 2026 picture.
My wife had an old memory of climbing a small hill in the rain in 1974, aged 14, with her older brother.
On a recent visit to Avebury we identified what that hill was.
Her Modern Antiquarian husband has duly adminished her as she returned to the scene of the crime 🙂
Offham Hill Neolithic Causewayed Enclosure. The northen section that has mostly survived.
The video starts looking in the direction of the small ditch first identified as Feature 12, the northernmost feature of the inner circle.
It is actually a small ditch that lies on the outer north bank and is not part of the Causewayed Enclosure.
But its location on What Three Words is a useful reference point:
striving.remarking.ember.
The video then walks along the path that follows the outer ditch of Features 6 and 5 South West to the turn to the South.
The last section after the turn, if I am right, runs along the outer ditch of Feature 4, in the outer circle. It makes sense that a path like this would navigate such a ditch from a time when it was more prominent or the area was less wooded.
Walk around of feature previously identified as 12, starting from the North, then West, South and East.
Its exact location, on What Three Words, is striving.remarking.ember and, although not a part of the structure of the Causewayed Enclosure, it is a useful reference point, lying on what would have been the outer north bank of the Enclosure, which I have called Feature 6.
View North East from between Features 1 and 2. Lewes just visible on the right. Work on repairs after the 13th August Lewes derailment visible.
Location of southern entrance to outer circle between Features 1 and 2 from the South.
Location of southern entrance to the inner circle between Features 8 and 9 from the South. Centre of Enclosure visible.
Possible bank section of feature 6 from the path that follows the outer ditch of the same feature. Taken from the North East.
Southern end of path following feature 4 ditch from the South. Turn to North East visible.
This path seems to follow the course of the outer ditch of the outer bank from the western entrance to the Enclosure round to the north.
Feature lying on the north outer bank from the East.
Location on What Three Words: striving.remarking.ember
Feature lying on the north outer bank from the South.
Location on What Three Words: striving.remarking.ember
Feature lying on the north outer bank from the West.
Location on What Three Words: striving.remarking.ember
Feature lying on the north outer bank from the North.
Location on What Three Words: striving.remarking.ember
South West entrance of the Causewayed Enclosure around features 3, 4, 10 and 11. Looking North East.
Coombe Hill Causewayed Enclosure on the 1878 Ordance Survey map.
Sourced from maps.nls.uk
An image showing the 1976 excavation of Offham Hill Causewayed Enclosure before most of the remains were ploughed out.
1975 (?) aerial photo of Offham Hill Causewayed Enclosure.
1975 aerial photo of Offham Hill Causewayed Enclosure.
1975 aerial photo of Offham Hill Causewayed Enclosure.
1975 aerial photo of Offham Hill Causewayed Enclosure.
1975 aerial photo of Offham Hill Causewayed Enclosure.
The whole area to the right of the reservoir enclosure is public access land now...but completely overgrown except for the path.
1975 aerial photo of Offham Hill Causewayed Enclosure.
An attempt to number the structures of the Enclosure, starting with the 1-4 numbering used by Mike Christie on Wikipedia, in his image.
I don’t know what those numbers refer to but it’s best to be consistent.
I am counting a “structure” as a defined feature according to the diagram, with an apparent ditch and bank pair counting as one structure.
An attempt to number the structures of the Enclosure, starting with the 1-4 numbering used by Mike Christie on Wikipedia.
I don’t know what those numbers refer to but it’s best to be consistent.
I am counting a “structure” as a defined feature according to the diagram, with an apparent ditch and bank pair counting as one structure.
This overlay of Mike Christie’s diagram makes more sense than the other one, as the established path passes between the structures of the Enclosure.
An attempt to overlay the best diagram I can find of Coombe Hill Causewayed Enclosure over the Ordnance Survey Explorer map.
The northern stone circle. Nowhere near as obvious as the southern one.
South Circle at Merrivale. 11 stones with no obvious gaps.
Standing stone in distance.
South Circle at Merrivale. 11 stones with no obvious gaps.
Standing stone in distance.
This is the archaeological map overlaid over the OS map.
The area is very overgrown but there may be visible remains on the paths that go though the Enclosure.
The problem with this version is that, in trying to scale the match to the two round barrows and the edge of the quarry, the established path ends up not passing between the structures of the Enclosure, which I have assumed it does. Field notes needed to confirm.
Took a walk around the woods on Offham Hill today.
One of the paths goes straight through the remains of the Neolithic Causwayed Enclosure, much of which was destroyed by a Victorian chalkpit.
To the south are two Bronze Age round-barrows, which are often found near such Neolithic sites in this neck of the woods.
The area is heavily overgrown, but there may be traces of the Enclosure banks on the narrow paths that pass through the space.
Having overlaid the archaeological image of the Enclosure over the OS map, this definitely bears more investigation.