Visit Wiltshire Visitor Guide 2023

Westbury White Horse
Avebury
Salisbury Cathedral
Silbury Hill
Two inimitable stone circles…
one outstanding World Heritage Site
Arrive at Avebury on a misty autumnal morning, or in the depths
of winter when a sprinkling of snow dusts the ground, and you’ll
understand the appeal this sacred place held for our ancestors.
Here, no less than three stone circles and part of the village
shelter within the massive outer bank and ditch. Stroll among the
stones. Touch them, if you will. Try your hand at dowsing for ley
lines. Then complete your Avebury experience with visits to the
Alexander Keiller Museum and Avebury Manor and Garden.
Dotted across the wider landscape of the World Heritage Site
are other monuments, some of them older than the stone circles
themselves. Near Avebury you’ll find Silbury Hill, the largest
artificial mound in Europe; West Kennet Long Barrow, one of
Britain’s largest Stone Age burial sites; and the ‘dolmen’ burial
chamber of The Devil’s Den. Not far from Stonehenge are the
Bronze Age burial mounds at King Barrow Ridge; the site of
a Neolithic settlement and henge at Durrington Walls; and
earthworks including The Cursus and The Avenue.
The Stonehenge Tour makes a convenient way to explore
several of Wiltshire’s ancient wonders. Picking up from Salisbury
railway station and the city centre, it runs via Old Sarum to
Stonehenge, before returning via Salisbury Cathedral.
Salisbury Cathedral is a magnificent example of Early English
Gothic architecture. Its glorious Chapter House is home to the
finest of only four original Magna Carta manuscripts, dating
from 1215. Other incomparable features include the tallest spire
in Britain, Britain’s largest cathedral close and cloisters, and the
world’s oldest working clock. For stunning panoramic views, take
a Tower Tour up narrow spiral stairs to the foot of the spire,
225 feet (over 68 metres) above ground.
Among Wiltshire’s other iconic views are its White Horses,
carved into the rolling chalk downs. Westbury, the oldest, dates
from 1778 (although local records suggest it may have replaced
an even earlier one carved in the late 1600s). Devizes, the most
recent, was cut into Roundway Hill in 1999, to mark the new
millennium. For further inspiration, view our white horse film
here: visitwiltshire.co.uk/videos
Wiltshire’s World Heritage Site and
other timeless wonders are within
easy reach of all accommodation
in this guide. To experience the
magic for yourself, an overnight
visit is highly recommended.
Go to visitwiltshire.co.uk/
accommodation for a wide
range of places to stay.
visitwiltshire.co.uk
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