The Stones of Winterbourne Monkton

In Wiltshire, England, the small village of Winterbourne Monkton sits within a landscape containing archaeological remains from several thousand years of human activity. The village is about a mile north of Avebury and lies in the Upper Kennet Valley. The Ridgeway crosses the eastern part of the parish, while Windmill Hill, with its Neolithic causewayed enclosure, lies to the southwest.

Winterbourne Monkton itself is a modern village, but the settlement occupies a much older landscape. Archaeological finds from the parish include Palaeolithic flint tools, Neolithic material, Bronze Age objects and barrows, as well as evidence from the Roman and Saxon periods. The village and its surroundings therefore contain traces of many different periods rather than belonging to a single archaeological period.

There are also sarsen stones in and around the village. Sarsen is a hard sandstone that occurs naturally across parts of southern England and was widely used as building material in Wiltshire. At Winterbourne Monkton, some of the stone has been incorporated into later buildings, while other pieces remain visible as individual stones.

One of the most interesting examples is in the churchyard of St Mary Magdalene.

The Stone from Millbarrow

Just northwest of the church once stood Millbarrow, a Neolithic chambered long barrow. The monument was substantially levelled by the middle of the nineteenth century, although its remains were later investigated archaeologically.

The history of Millbarrow is better documented than its surviving remains might suggest. Antiquarian accounts recorded the barrow before it disappeared, and archaeological investigations confirmed that it had contained a chambered tomb. Excavations in 1989 identified the remains of the chamber, a façade, flanking ditches and kerbs. Human remains were recovered from the chamber area, and radiocarbon evidence indicates that the monument was constructed during the late fourth millennium BC.

Today, the barrow itself is no longer visible as the substantial monument it once was. One of its stones, however, is traditionally said to survive in the churchyard.

The large sarsen stone beside the church marks the grave of Reverend John Brinsden, who died in 1719. Local and historical sources identify the stone as having been brought from Millbarrow, and it has also been described as the possible capstone of the barrow's chamber.

Stones in the Village

Millbarrow is not the only reason to look at the stones of Winterbourne Monkton. Sarsen occurs throughout the area and was used extensively in local construction.

Wiltshire's Community History records sarsen stones at the entrance to the village, while historic buildings in Winterbourne Monkton also contain substantial quantities of sarsen. Middle Farm, for example, is a listed eighteenth century building constructed partly from coursed sarsen stone.

This is one of the things that makes Winterbourne Monkton interesting to explore. The stones are not gathered together in one clearly defined prehistoric monument. Instead, they occur alongside later buildings, roads, walls and other features of the village.

Once you know what to look for, the local stones become easier to notice.






© Stone Bothering. All rights reserved.

Popular Posts

The Enigmatic Stones of Avebury

Image
When most people think of ancient stones in England, their minds leap immediately to Stonehenge . Its iconic silhouette is known around the world. Yet hidden in plain sight just twenty miles away lies a place that, to many, holds an even deeper mystery: Avebury . Unlike Stonehenge, where the stones are roped off, Avebury invites you to walk freely among its giants. Here, in the rolling chalk downs of Wiltshire, a vast henge encircles not only stones but also a living village. You can touch them, lean against them, and feel their silence speak. Avebury is not simply one circle. It is a landscape of power, a vast sacred geometry stretching across the Wiltshire countryside. It sits at the heart of one of the densest clusters of prehistoric monuments in Europe. Nearby stand Silbury Hill , West Kennet Long Barrow , Windmill Hill, and the mysterious West Kennet Avenue leading away from the circle like a stone-lined artery. Many researchers believe that Avebury was once part of a grand cerem...
Read more

Exploring Lanhill Long Barrow in Wiltshire

Image
Lanhill Long Barrow in Wiltshire, England, is one of the country’s most intriguing Neolithic monuments. Its elongated mound rises gently from the fields, a silent reminder of a civilization that existed over 5,000 years ago. Unlike the more famous stone circles and monuments in the region, Lanhill has retained a sense of intimacy and mystery, drawing visitors who seek to understand the lives, beliefs, and rituals of early communities. This barrow is not just a burial site; it is a window into the spiritual and social world of people who shaped the prehistoric landscape. Lanhill Long Barrow was constructed around 3500 BCE, during the Neolithic period. This era saw a major transformation in human society as communities shifted from nomadic hunter-gatherer lifestyles to settled farming. With this change came the desire to establish permanent monuments, especially for commemorating the dead. Long barrows, such as Lanhill, served as communal tombs, holding the remains of multiple individual...
Read more

Exploring Devil's Quoits in Oxfordshire

Image
Devil’s Quoits is quietly positioned on the plains near Stanton Harcourt in Oxfordshire, a place that carries the weight of ancient history, even if the modern surroundings make that easy to overlook. To many, it may appear as just another field punctuated by stones, yet beneath the surface lies a story stretching back thousands of years. This is a site that has intrigued archaeologists and visitors alike, a relic of a past culture whose reasons for erecting these stones remain partly mysterious. The stone circle lies just west of the River Thames, about ten miles northwest of Oxford. Historically, proximity to the river was important, providing resources and transport routes for the communities who once lived here. Today, however, the setting is more prosaic. The surrounding fields are used for agriculture, and nearby construction reminds visitors that this ancient site exists in a modern, working landscape rather than a pristine pastoral scene. Approaching Devil’s Quoits today, the f...
Read more