WEST KENNET PALISADED ENCLOSURES

West Kennet Palisaded Enclosures: In recent years the components of the Avebury complex have been dramatically added to with the discovery of two huge palisaded enclosures located halfway between Silbury Hill and the Sanctuary. They were first noticed as crop marks on aerial photographs by J.K.St.Joseph in the 1950s but serious research on them didn't commence until 1987 when Alasdair Whittle of Cardiff University began a 5 year period of investigations.

The layout of the site is quite complicated but basically consists of two large areas of land which were surrounded by timber palisading. One of these was circular with an inner row of palisading and the other was in the form of a letter C. Within and to the south of the C-shaped component were a number of smaller features of various shapes. The major dimension of each enclosure was about 275 metres and 340 metres respectively. 

The River Kennet flows through the middle of the double-ringed component. Loosely dated to around 2300BC it would seem that their construction took place after the avenues had been added to the henge. The palisading consisted of closely spaced wooden posts, almost certainly of oak, possibly as much as 3 feet in diameter and 25 feet high. The bulk of the artifacts found consisted of grooved-ware pottery, flint objects and an unusual abundance of pig bones. Evidence found seems to indicate that the enclosures were ultimately destroyed by fire. Nothing was found, however, that would indicate that they came under attack from hostile forces so the burning may have been a deliberate act.