Abury, A Temple of the British Druids, With Some Others, DescribedStukeley, William
History
Abury, A Temple of the British Druids, With Some Others, Described
Stukeley, William
Avebury (England) -- Antiquities; Druids and Druidism
As to the stones that compos’d this avenue, they were of all shapes,
sizes, and height that happen’d, altogether rude. Some we measur’d 6
feet thick, 16 in circumference. If of a flattish make, the broadest
dimension was set in the line of the avenue, and the most sightly side
of the stone inward. The founders were sensible, all the effect desired
in the case, was their bulk and regular station. All the hill tops,
especially the _Hakpen_, are adorn’d with barrows as we go along. When
the avenue comes to the inclosures aforementioned of _West-Kennet_,
it passes through three of them, crosses a little field lane, and the
common road from _Marlborough_ to _Bath_, just after the road makes a
right angle descending from _Overton-hill_. We must note that we have
been a good while ascending again. In this angle the _Roman_-road from
_Marlborough_ coming down the hill, enters the common road. This is the
_via Badonica_ aforementioned.
_John Fowler_, who kept the alehouse hard by, demolish’d many of these
stones by burning. The alehouse (the _white hart_) and the walls about
it, were built out of one stone.
[Illustration:
TAB. XVI.
_Part of the South Temple from the Central Obelisk 10 July 1723_]
As before, the avenue coming out of _Abury_ town bended itself to the
right, now ’tis easily enough discernible, that it makes a mighty curve
to the left, the better to imitate the creature it’s intended for.
_Fit lapis, & servat serpentis imagine saxum._ Ovid. Met. XII.
Passing the _Roman_ road, it traverses an angle of a pasture, and falls
into the upper part of the same road again, and marches through two
more pastures, all along the quickset hedge-side: so that the quick is
planted in the very middle of it. Many of the stones are seen lying in
their proper places, both in the pastures and in the road. These stones
are all thrown down or reclining, and very large. We measur’d one by
the style 12 feet long, 6 and a half broad, 3 and a half thick.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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