Beer and archaeology in Avebury
Jul. 28th, 2007 10:00 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
badgermindBrighton and Hove Archaeological Society coach trip to Avebury. Set off with Mrs Badger in good time to walk down the hill to the coach pick up point in Old Steine, but had to run back from the end of the road for my forgotten sunspecs. First stop after the outskirts of Brighton was a service station on the M4 near Reading, where we decided that an M&S picnic lunch would be the best option in view of the risk of there being few places to eat in Avebury and many visitors (they also sold us a cooler bag, which helped).
First archaeological stop was the Sanctuary, where we were joined by our guide Miles Russell from the University of Bournemouth (my thanks to him for his explanations, and apologies if I have misinterpreted any of his comments). From there we could see Silbury Hill and the West Kennet Long Barrow. We moved back onto the coach to be dropped part way along the Avenue, allowing us to walk the last half mile or so to Avebury itself, following the prehistoric route rather than the path from the modern car park. The builders of Avebury appeared to have favoured a less direct line of approach under which the mysteries of the site were revealed slowly – the stone circles would not have been visible from outside the rampart, which as this is a henge is outside the ditch. We were then taken to the Cove, which on my previous visit two years ago (with elder teenage cub, who was more fascinated by the sheep than either the stones or the pub) I had entirely missed.
Mrs Badger and I then went to the Red Lion to drink Greene King Abbot (in her case mixed with lemonade) and admire the robes and ritual equipment of what appeared to be a druid group two tables away. Abbot always reminds me of my student days, when I was allergic to yeast and did not drink beer, but often watched the consumption, and listened to discussion of the relative merits, of Greene King Abbot and IPA. After our picnic lunch on the edge of the site, we staggered to our feet and went in search of our fortunately distinctive red and cream Brighton and Hove bus, which took us to the West Kennet long barrow and onwards to Brighton. Many thanks also to the driver! Hopefully we will manage a weekend at the Red Lion next year.
First archaeological stop was the Sanctuary, where we were joined by our guide Miles Russell from the University of Bournemouth (my thanks to him for his explanations, and apologies if I have misinterpreted any of his comments). From there we could see Silbury Hill and the West Kennet Long Barrow. We moved back onto the coach to be dropped part way along the Avenue, allowing us to walk the last half mile or so to Avebury itself, following the prehistoric route rather than the path from the modern car park. The builders of Avebury appeared to have favoured a less direct line of approach under which the mysteries of the site were revealed slowly – the stone circles would not have been visible from outside the rampart, which as this is a henge is outside the ditch. We were then taken to the Cove, which on my previous visit two years ago (with elder teenage cub, who was more fascinated by the sheep than either the stones or the pub) I had entirely missed.
Mrs Badger and I then went to the Red Lion to drink Greene King Abbot (in her case mixed with lemonade) and admire the robes and ritual equipment of what appeared to be a druid group two tables away. Abbot always reminds me of my student days, when I was allergic to yeast and did not drink beer, but often watched the consumption, and listened to discussion of the relative merits, of Greene King Abbot and IPA. After our picnic lunch on the edge of the site, we staggered to our feet and went in search of our fortunately distinctive red and cream Brighton and Hove bus, which took us to the West Kennet long barrow and onwards to Brighton. Many thanks also to the driver! Hopefully we will manage a weekend at the Red Lion next year.
