Stonehenge & Avebury: the saving of Avebury

Postcards to friends of the Stonehenge and Avebury World Heritage Site

In October 1871 the vicar of Avebury, Bryan King, demonstrated the value of local engagement by writing to Sir John Lubbock:

“When you were here – I think that you remarked that you would not object to purchase the two meadows in this village containing the stones & part of the Dyke. Since then the farm of which they formed part has been bought by a land & building society and one of the meadows in question – though not the one containing most stones – is now on sale. I have just seen the agent who informs me that they are all ready to sell it … Now this meadow with its proportion of Dyke contains about 6 acres … I do not know whether you would care to buy this or to make an offer for it – but I write to you this information merely in consequence of your having made the remark in question about the meadows.”

The rest as they say is history – watch it on iplayer here
And tonight: Episode 2 of 3: ‘The Men from the Ministry‘ BBC Four 21.00

B.E.

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This is part of a series of short “postcards” that anyone with something to share is welcome to submit, whether that is a digital snap and a “wish you were here” or something more involved. Please do join in by sending your postcards to theheritagejournal@gmail.com

For others in the series put postcards in the search box.