Stonehenge, Avebury and Associated Sites UNESCO World Heritage Site – Stone Circles, Chalk Downs, and Ancient Pathways

Standing Stones, Open Downland, and Prehistoric Walking Landscapes

Stonehenge, Avebury and their surrounding monuments form one of England’s most distinctive places for self-guided travel, shaped by walking routes, open chalk landscapes, and small historic places across the downs of Wiltshire. Footpaths and long-distance trails link Stonehenge, Avebury, Silbury Hill, and West Kennet, while the nearby Ridgeway National Trail crosses the high ground above the stones, allowing walkers to experience this prehistoric landscape gradually rather than as isolated landmarks.

Set across Salisbury Plain and the Marlborough Downs, the terrain is defined by rolling grassland, broad skies, and long sightlines. Ancient earthworks, burial mounds, and stone circles sit quietly within open fields and gentle valleys, often appearing unexpectedly along otherwise simple country paths. Walking here feels spacious and unhurried, with steady gradients and wide horizons rather than steep climbs.

Despite the global fame of the monuments, much of the landscape remains calm and rural. Sheep pasture, hedgerows, and quiet tracks surround the stones, creating a strong sense of continuity between everyday countryside and deep history. Moving on foot reveals how the monuments relate to one another across the land, connected by ridges, valleys, and ancient routes.

About the UNESCO World Heritage Site

Stonehenge, Avebury and Associated Sites were inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1986 for their outstanding cultural and archaeological importance. Together they represent one of the most complete prehistoric ceremonial landscapes in the world, preserving monuments that span more than 5,000 years of human activity.

The site includes stone circles, long barrows, avenues, henges, and earthworks that reveal how communities gathered, travelled, and marked the land in the Neolithic and Bronze Age. Rather than a single monument, it is the relationship between these features — spread across the chalk downs — that gives the area its significance.

Today, protected access and public footpaths allow visitors to walk between many of the monuments, experiencing the wider landscape in which they were built.

Where to Walk

Stonehenge Landscape Trails

‍National Trust routes linking the stones with burial mounds, cursus monuments, and open views across Salisbury Plain.

Avebury Stone Circle & Silbury Hill Walks

‍Circular paths exploring the world’s largest stone circle alongside Silbury Hill and West Kennet Long Barrow.

The Ridgeway National Trail (nearby)

‍An ancient trackway across the chalk downs offering long ridge walks with direct links to Avebury.

Marlborough Downs Paths

‍Gentle downland trails passing prehistoric earthworks, open grassland, and wide rural views.

Highlights

• Stonehenge and Avebury, two of Europe’s most significant prehistoric stone circles
• A UNESCO-listed ceremonial landscape spread across open chalk downs
• Silbury Hill and West Kennet Long Barrow within walking distance of Avebury
• The Ridgeway, one of Britain’s oldest known routes
• Wide skies, rolling grassland, and quiet rural paths
• Easy gradients and accessible terrain for steady walking