Gardens to Visit: Avebury Manor

Of course Avebury is a fabulous stone circle in Wiltshire with huge undressed stones, very well worth a visit, but in the middle of the circle is the village of Avebury, and Avebury Manor and its gardens are in the centre of the village.

Part of the garden is very formal with clipped box hedges, yew topiary and lily pools.

And part of the garden is very relaxed and feels almost as though it has been left to its own devices.

The lady who sold us our tickets told me it is lovely at daffodil time but I'm not sure where they grow.

And then a couple of minutes walk from this pretty little garden and you are back with the majestic stones of the Avebury stone circle. They really are amazing and definitely worth a visit. Indeed, worth a fairly big detour.

Just around the corner is the strange and symmetrical Silbury Hill. 

Nobody knows why it was built, but it is the largest man man mound in Europe. 

Both Avebury and Silbury Hill are part of a UNESCO World Heritage site, as is Stonehenge. Most people know Stonehenge but you can't get up close to the stones these days.

The huge skies of Wiltshire.

Fabulous stuff... but take time from these huge monuments to relax in the garden of Avebury Manor.