West Kennet Long Barrow

West Kennet Long Barrow stands on a ridge south of Avebury and was built around 3650 BC. Its stone chambers formed a communal burial place for men, women and children, and the monument remained important for many centuries. Excavators recovered human remains alongside pottery, beads and stone objects, showing that this was a place where the dead were repeatedly commemorated. The mound may have developed in more than one building phase. Around 2000 BC, its use changed decisively: the passage was packed with material and large sarsen stones were placed across the entrance. This deliberate closure made an ancestral monument inaccessible without removing its presence from the landscape. Excavations took place in 1859 and again in 1955–56. Subsequent restoration rebuilt parts of the entrance and chambers, so the visible structure combines surviving prehistoric fabric with modern conservation. Period: Neolithic; built around 3650 BC Grid reference: SU 10456 67739 Protection: Scheduled monument Source: Historic England, https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1010628 (Open Government Licence). © Historic England 2026. Contains Ordnance Survey data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Banner photo: "West Kennet Long Barrow" by mike, via Wikimedia Commons, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0.