Beckhampton Avenue
{{Short description|Archaeological site in England}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2017}}
{{Use British English|date=February 2017}}
{{More references|date=July 2021}}
{{Infobox UNESCO World Heritage Site
| image = Houghton Arc 855.214 - Stukely, the Druid temple of Abury.jpg
| image_upright = 1.2
| caption = Stukeley's vision of the complete Beckhampton Avenue
| location = Wiltshire, United Kingdom
| part_of = Avebury Section of Stonehenge, Avebury and Associated Sites
| criteria = {{UNESCO WHS type|(i), (ii), (iii)}}(i), (ii), (iii)
| ID = 373bis-002
| year = 1986
| extension = 2008
| coordinates = {{Coord|51.425|N|1.870|W|type:landmark_region:GB-WIL|display=inline,title}}
}}
The Beckhampton Avenue was a curving prehistoric avenue of stones that ran broadly south west from Avebury towards The Longstones at Beckhampton in the English county of Wiltshire. It probably dates to the late Neolithic and early Bronze Age.
Description
Only one stone, known as "Adam", remains standing and even in William Stukeley's time (early 18th century) there was little evidence on the surface of the avenue.{{National Heritage List for England |num=1008104 |desc=Avebury Long Stones |access-date=13 July 2021}} The other stones were probably broken up and sold by local landowners in the post-medieval era. Excavations by the University of Southampton in 2000, however, revealed the parallel rows of holes that held the stones. {{convert|120|m|ft|-1}} of the avenue was uncovered and indicated that the avenue consisted of a double row of stones placed at {{convert|15|m|ft|0}} intervals in a similar pattern to those at Kennet Avenue.
Stukeley's theory was that the two avenues were part of a giant 'snake' winding across the landscape with its head at The Sanctuary and also incorporating the Avebury monument.
The avenue may have originally extended further past the Longstones, with Adam being part of the 'cove', or standing stone arrangement, sited along its course. "Eve" is a known part of the avenue leading back to the western gateway of the henge, which included what is now the village high street.
Earlier history
Before the avenue was built, the site was host to an earlier Neolithic causewayed enclosure.
References
{{Reflist}}
Category:Ancient trackways in England
Category:Stone Age sites in Wiltshire
Category:Archaeological sites in Wiltshire
Category:Protected areas of Wiltshire
Category:Causewayed enclosures
Category:Bronze Age sites in Wiltshire
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