“Wonders of Wiltshire”

Podcast

Sep 27

Written By Jessica Howe

Episode 1

Episode Outline:

Legend of the Moonrakers
Where is Wiltshire?
West Kennett Longbarrow
Avebury Stone Circle
The Red Lion Pub
Avebury Village
Our Travel Story
Closing Thoughts

Entrance to the West Kennett Longbarrow — Wiltshire, England

Episode Transcript

Intro Story: The Moonrakers

Tall grass shivered in the pale light of the cold December moon. Full and luminous, shafts of moonbeams danced across the frost-speckled path as John and Old Mr. Mabett made their way northward through the quiet countryside. Their eyes passed warily about in the icy darkness, hoping that no sound would betray their quest to deliver the cargo in tow. Three large wooden barrels were nested beneath a heap of stray, their contents splashing faintly as a donkey lurched the cart forward across every bump and rut of the narrow road.

The year was 1786, and the place that John and Mabett were crossing was Wiltshire, in the rural landscape of southwest England. It was nearing Christmastime, and they were en route with a secret delivery for The Pelican Inn. At this time, the Crown had imposed a heavy tax on spirits, which created a rather bustling smuggling operation. Routes were established to transport brandy and gin from remote coves of the south coast to traders and merchants further inland. Transporting spirits was extremely dangerous, as the consequences for poaching were harsh. Excisemen were employed by the Crown specifically to arrest anyone who dared to risk the punishment for smuggling, and they were always ready to charge someone caught in the act.

These frightening consequences are why Jon and Mabett had taken great care to disguise themselves, wearing the clothes of farmers and delivering their best impersonation of the local country folk. The journey had been quite peaceful, and uneventful as they approached the town of Devizes and neared their destination. The two men began to relax a little, and exhaled a bit.

As they led the cart towards a bridge to cross a small pond, the donkey grew startled and came to a full stop. A few moments passed as the donkey nervously shifted from side to side, digging its hooves stubbornly into the frozen earth. The two men tried to persuade the donkey, even drag him forward--but this only furthered the resistance. After a struggle of wills, the donkey let out a roaring screech and broke free of the cart, galloping in terror into the darkness. The cart crashed forward, and all three barrels rolled straight down the slope of the pond. The splash was deafening. Panicked, John and Mabett hastily grabbed the rakes that had fallen off the cart and began dragging the stiff blades of half-frozen pond grasses over the barrels. They grew desperate as they heard a man call out from the distance. What luck--it was an exciseman, and they could hear him shouting the words, “Poachers!”

The exciseman approached, and John--in his best Wiltshire accent--attempted to explain the situation. He told the man that they were no poachers, just mere farmers who had an incident with their donkey. John explained that their cheese had rolled straight off the cart and into the pond, and they were working hard to retrieve it. Bemused, the exciseman stepped back to observe this bizarre scene. The men were so determined, raking a reflection of the moon in the water. And just how simple are these folk, he thought as his laughter bellowed outward. They don’t even realize that’s the moon, not their cheese! Roaring with laughter, he left the two in their misguided determination and retreated into the night.

After a few moments, John and Mabett slumped forward with relief. It had worked. Somehow, they had just avoided being caught with the contraband right in front of them. After they were certain that the exciseman was far out of range, they extracted the barrels from the frosty water and rolled them back into the cart, heaped by a blanket of straw. The donkey was also retrieved, and harnessed back to the cart. This time, they were able to cross the bridge without trouble. They kept quiet about the night’s incident, but the exciseman proudly boasted in every local pub what he had seen--two farmers raking the moon’s reflection, to save their fallen cheese. Little did he know that the joke was on him-- and the story has circulated ever since.

John and Mabett’s misadventure has become a local legend, and given a nickname to every person born in Wiltshire today: Moonrakers! The story of the Moonrakers first appeared in 1787, in Francis Grose’s Provincial Glossary. Many parts of the country claim this story, though the prevailing consensus is that its origins belong to Wiltshire. Edward Slow, a poet who wrote many of his stories in the Wiltshire dialect, immortalized the tale of the Moonrakers in an 1881 publication. The infamous mishap of the Moonrakers and their clever recovery has colored local folktales ever since.

INTRODUCTION! Where are we?

Welcome to the first destination of The Enchanted Path--Wiltshire, England!

Located in the South West countryside, Wiltshire is a gentle rolling landscape of patchwork farm fields, charming villages, and deeply mysterious phenomena. Home to the UNESCO world heritage sites of Stonehenge and Avebury, it is one of the oldest-inhabited locations in Britain, with stone circles, barrows, and earthen monuments originating from the Neolithic Period. Crop circles, UFO sightings, ghostly legends, ancient burial sites, thatched roof cottages, haunted pubs, and castle ruins are among the many characteristics that make Wiltshire a truly unique phenomenon of a place.

In this episode I will guide you through some of the highlights of Wiltshire, and the lore that shapes its ancient heritage. This is a part of the world that is rich in story, and I could not possibly cover it all in just one episode. But, in giving an overview, perhaps a spark will be ignited and curiosity can carry you further…

The West Kennett Longbarrow

It was just before the sunrise, on the longest day of the year. The midsummer heat had not yet warmed the cool of the night. The light of the morning had not yet touched the dark violet sky. Stars twinkled above, a glittering canopy fading with the glow of the coming dawn. Suddenly, a shimmer fluttered the grass. A shiver passed through the breeze. A man appeared, in long, flowing, pale robes. His feet were bare, and his beard was long. White strands of hair swirled gently around his shoulders as he watched in stillness, statuesque upon the earthen mound.

An ancient barrow crowned the hill, enveloped in blooming fields and deep green shrubbery, and this man stood atop the crest--luminous against the deep sky. He faced East, towards the delicate rays of the rising sun. A large hound lay beside him, gazing dreamily in the same direction. Startling red ears shone like fire against the light fabric of the man’s garment, draped to the ground. They walked, slowly, measured and focused towards the rising sun. They moved with the assured pace of a ritual--one that had been enacted thousands of times.

As the light grew, the striking clarity of their presence began to fade. As golden rays stretched across the expanse of the land, they began to dissipate. And just as the full strength of the morning light filled the eastern sky, the man and his hound turned silently into the entrance of the barrow. Not a sound was made, and they were not seen again. The only movement that escaped their absence was the subtle shimmer of the grass.

This is the legend of the Man and his Hound, who are rumored to appear in Midsummer on the morning of the Solstice--the longest day of the year. It is said that they appear at sunrise, then turn silently into the tomb entrance, from which they do not emerge until the following year. The ancient site they are associated with is The West Kennett Longbarrow, near the Avebury stone circle in the heart of Wiltshire. Sightings of this elegant, ghostly figure and his brilliant red dog have been reported by numerous accounts--especially by local farmers, who are often awake and ready for work in those early hours.

If these sightings are true, then this haunting figure would be one of the oldest known ghosts in the world. The West Kennett Longbarrow dates back over three thousand years, estimated to have been established around 3600 BC. Farmers built this as a burial mound and ritual site for their community in the Neolithic period. It’s a site older than Stonehenge, than Avebury--in fact, the tomb was sealed just before work on the massive Avebury Stone Circles began. The West Kennett Longbarrow is one of the largest, most striking chambered tombs of its kind in all the world. It belongs to what archaeologists categorize as the Cotswold Seven, situated on a high ridge among a rounded, sloping landscape of patchwork fields. The land here is chalk bedrock--if you were to dig into the ground, the earth below the topsoil would appear white. Today, the barrow appears as an earthen mound covered in grass, and framed by large vertical stones of sarsen and limestone. At the time of its construction, when it was first carved from the landscape, it would have been a brilliant white color. This site would have shone like a beacon at the top of the emerald green hill, and unified the surrounding communities in gathering to honor their ancestors.

The chambered tombs of Western Europe are some of the oldest deliberate stone structures on earth, second only to the raised stones found in Turkey. They were all established in proximity to what historians refer to as the Atlantic façade--the western edge of the known world, where the land became the infinite sea. These ancient sites signify a time when the consciousness of human beings shifted, and revolutionized how they viewed the land--how they lived. Up until the Neolithic period, people were nomadic. They moved across the terrain, seeking food and shelter, and never attempted to establish those things for themselves.

Farming, livestock--these technologies shifted the lives and psyches of mankind. They began to notice the movement of the sky--the cycles of the sun, moon, and stars. They became more acutely aware of the pace of the seasons, and weather patterns. They began to develop tools and techniques to manipulate the land and build their homes. Staying in one place created communities, rituals, and a new kind of awareness as people began to process their surroundings from a point of stillness. It is through this transformation that the creation of tombs begins.

The West Kennett Longbarrow would have held a sacred significance to those who built it. This hollow earthen chamber, raised from the chalk bedrock, was a place to house the bones of the dead. The barrow is orientated from east to west, with the entrance facing the rising sun. This design is symbolic of the life cycle, how our lives rise and set just as the day becomes night. Bones were laid in this chambered tomb as a collective, to become a part of the whole with others who had passed. Evidence suggests that the tomb would have been open, with bones brought in and out of the interior for several generations. The West Kennett Longbarrow did not function in the same manner as an ossuary or modern cemetery, as not many remains were permanently left in the tomb. It appears as though the people laid to rest here were either selected by the community, perhaps for adulatory reasons; or that they were only housed in the chamber for a brief period of time, before being relocated as other remains were brought in.

Curiously, after remaining open across several generations, the tomb’s entrance was ceremoniously blocked with enormous sarsen stones, never to reopen. We cannot know why they decided to seal the tomb, but we can speculate that it ceased to be in use just as work on the massive Avebury Stone Circle began, about a mile away. Perhaps they no longer had a use for it? Or the site continued to be visited, but not the interior? There is no real way to know--their memory is carried through the shards of pottery, fragments of bone, and mysterious burial chamber that housed them.

One of the most spectacular things about the West Kennett Longbarrow is that it is open today, and you can walk right in. The site is at the top of a hill, surrounded by farm fields. A small wooden sign post directs your path from the highway, and a simple information sign is set just before the tomb’s entrance. You can walk on top of the mound, or through the chambers inside. The chambers have been cleared of the ancient remains, but are not completely empty. Often, you’ll see offerings left of apples, flowers, stones, candles, and incense. It’s a place deeply significant to many, even to this day. There are glass blocks set into the top of the central chamber, to allow natural daylight to filter in and illuminate the way. The central chamber is quite tall, and most people of average height can walk in without having to stoop. The side chambers are much lower, and dark. The barrow offers a beautiful vantage point, where you can take in the surrounding gentle landscape and see the towering shape of Silbury Hill.

Barrows are broadly considered to be sites of heightened spiritual awareness--a liminal space, a doorway to another world. People have had a range of experiences inside the chambers of the West Kennett Longbarrow. Many visitors recount it as a place that feels sacred and soothing, much like the atmosphere of a cathedral. For some, the act of walking into an ancient earthen tomb is thrilling and somewhat haunting. Others have described an overwhelming feeling of dread from stepping in. There’s one harrowing account from the early 1990s, where a young couple decided to visit the barrow on holiday. As one stepped outside, the other felt invisible arms grab and pull her forcibly towards the lower chamber. She explained that it felt like every movement she made was weighed down, as though she were trudging through heavy water. She eventually managed to pull away from the invisible force and run straight out, after what felt like an eternity inside.

When exploring what the significance of the West Kennett Longbarrow may have been, it’s important to broaden the scope and consider the context of the area surrounding it. From the top of the barrow, the monumental Silbury Hill is clearly visible. Avebury is just over a mile away, and Stonehenge is in the proximity. Perhaps, this massive effort to transform the natural landscape was a way of expressing a new understanding of the universe, and where they stood within it. Or, to establish a kind of central gathering place for the many families and small communities scattered across the land. When people began anchoring themselves to one location, the movement of all surrounding them held a new significance. Creating methods to mark the passage of time, of seasons for planting and hunting--it was all essential to survival. The cycle of life would have come into view more clearly from being still. And one of the key shapes we see created in the land from this period is the emergence of circles.

The blue glow of twilight illuminated the darkening sky, as Edith drove through the English countryside. She was travelling to the village of Marlborough, when a flicker of firelight in the distance caught her attention. Intrigued, Edith pulled to the side of the road, just as a light curtain of rain began to fall. Though her view was obscured by the mist, she could see what appeared to be a celebration of sorts--a gathering in the distance. Among the cottages and megalithic stones, she could make out a crowd with torches--at what appeared to be a small fair with booths and shows. Swing-boats flew in and out of the faint circle of light, and the tinkling sound of broken bottles rang through the pattering drizzle. People passed one another in the distance, in the shadow of the great stones that enveloped their festivities. Edith watched them, captivated, until the rain fell harder and began to flow down the back of her neck. Not wanting to be drenched, she climbed back into her car, and continued on her way.

Several years passed before Edith returned to Avebury. While she was in the area, curiosity guided her to revisit the spot where she had seen the towering alley of stones, and the festival. When she reached the place where she had been, she was astonished to discover that the stones she so clearly remembered were no longer there. After consulting a guide book, Edith learned that the last Avebury fair was held in 1850--sixty-six years before she had seen it. So...what exactly did Edith see from the roadside on that cool, rainy evening?

This is a story that writer Edith Oliver shared in her book, “Without Knowing Mr. Walkley,” from her experience driving through Avebury during World War I in the year 1916. She is far from the only person to experience strange and mysterious occurrences in this legendary part of Wiltshire. Many stories surround this ancient stone circle, and the village at its center.

A circle is universal--it is the center, the origin, and the eternal. It embodies the cycle of all things. Nature forms circles in the curve of waves, the unfurling of flowers, the shape of the sun. To the ancient people of Wiltshire, their legacy is left to us in fragments of circles, carved and built upon the landscape with powerful determination and enigmatic motives. We cannot know what their intentions were, or how exactly these expansive sites were developed. What we can trace is that these were multigenerational efforts enduring centuries--that whatever the origin, their intentions lived in the act of creating, and not the completion. Can any of us, in our modern age, imagine what it would be like to work on something so vast that you never expected to see it finished? Over the course of your lifetime, your children’s, and your grandchildren’s? One of the most fascinating examples of such an effort can be found in Europe’s oldest, largest Neolithic Stone Circle--The UNESCO world heritage site of Avebury.

The stone circles at Avebury are believed to have served as a kind of stationary clock--a marker to anchor the spinning cosmos and make sense of time. A fixed point of reference. This created a centralized meeting place for scattered communities and families, where everyone knew to go for gatherings. At the heart of the circle stands a massive stone, estimated to be over 100 tons . This stone is known as the Cove. It is believed that this enormous sarsen monument was not moved into place, but that it was already there--and built around. Ancestors of this time may have wondered, is this the fallen body of a giant? Was this placed by the people who made the world...has it stood since the beginning of all things?

What we see today in Avebury is a skeleton--the bones that remain are the cornerstone record of a people long ago. Our imaginations are tasked with filling in the empty space. To close our eyes and wonder what this place may have meant, and how the people who built it spent time here. Maybe they gathered around fires in the dusk of the evening--young people laughing and talking freely in the glowing light, as their elders gazed through the brightness to read shadows cast upon the stones. Was this a place of ritual where the dead were laid to rest? And the colossal stones--how did they decide where to place them? Were they once painted? Maybe decorated in some ceremonial way, or smeared with the blood of animals? It’s been observed that the arrangement of the stones at Avebury might have evoked masculine and feminine energy, with the tall gray stones representing the male and the broad pale stones the female. There is no way to really know; only ideas to interpret from what remains.

The construction of Avebury is estimated to have begun around 2500 BC, when the outermost ring was dug from the earth. The people who made this would have been equipped with natural tools such as mussels and antlers, and ones they fashioned from stone. Chalk downland is the natural landscape--countless hours would have been spent laboring to dig the full 30-foot depth, and it would have taken generations of time. This impressive endeavor was already collapsing on itself before the first circle was completed. But, those who made it never went back to adjust the parts that had caved in. They left it, and moved on to the next phase of the build. Their steadfast determination is every bit as mysterious as the initial reason for doing it. Many theorize that the circle’s placement had to do with ley lines--natural currents of energy that course through the earth, believed to be particularly strong at sites like Avebury. The outer circle is so large that for centuries, no one realized it was man-made. It appeared to be natural, because of the sheer scale of it. In the 18th century, antiquarian William Stukeley theorized that this area was part of a formation of a great serpent, and that Avebury was connected to other ancient sites. Though, he could not see this from above to confirm it. When planes began to cross over the fields during the first World War, pilots noticed the patterns from a vantage point they’d never before had. This only deepens the mystery, as to how these ancient people understood what they were creating.

Long ago, this region in England was encrusted in stone, later eroded and transformed by glaciers. The stone broke into boulders over time, and is known as sarsen. Sarsen stones are grey in color and very hard, composed of sand in a siliceous cement. The stones used to construct sites like Avebury are a combination of sarsen and limestone. They were moved into place and erected vertically, with about one third of the stone’s full height embedded in the earth. Only around 76 of the estimated 600 stones are still standing today, and some are believed to be buried. The occupation of the Romans, the spread of Christianity, and ignorance to the stone circle’s significance led to considerable destruction over the years. Until archaeologists of the 18th century recognized the site’s historical importance and made efforts to halt its demise, people were heating and breaking the stones for building materials. Today, what remains of the circle is protected, and a village of anglo-saxon origin resides at the center.

Avebury village and The Red Lion:

Avebury village is a unique, charming place with enchanting thatched-roof cottages and backyard gardens. Two of the main attractions in town are an Anglo-Saxon church and graveyard near the town center, and an iconic pub down High Street known as The Red Lion. The building of The Red Lion was constructed in the 1600s, with whitewashed walls, a thickly thatched roof, and a rustic sign hanging above the entrance. It was originally a farmhouse, before becoming a coaching inn around 1802. Incidentally, it is the only pub in the world surrounded by a prehistoric stone circle. It also holds the reputation of being one of the most haunted pubs in all of the United Kingdom.
The Red Lion pub is home to several notorious ghosts. Some have claimed to see and hear a phantom carriage clattering along the cobbled courtyard. This sighting is feared to be a harbinger of death, according to previous landlords… One of the resident ghosts is a phantom with a tragic past, known as Florrie. Legend has it that during the English civil war in the 17th century, Florrie’s husband returned home unexpectedly to find her in the arms of another man. Possessed by rage, he shot the other man, and slit Lorrie’s throat in an act of ruthless vengeance. It is then believed that he dragged her body to a well and threw her in. Afterwards, he sealed the opening with a large boulder. It is said that Florrie’s ghost remains on the grounds, searching for a man with a beard--though no one is quite sure whether the man she seeks is her slain lover, or her murderous husband. The 17th-century well where this tragedy is said to have happened is inside the pub, with a clear top that allows curious visitors to peer inside. One occasion recounts a chandelier spinning wildly above a customer, seemingly out of nowhere. The manager rushed over to see what was happening, and noted that the customer seated beneath it had a rather large, bushy beard.

The pub is also rumored to be home to a pair of spectral children, who are believed to haunt the Avenue bedroom. Guests have seen them cowering against the wall, while a woman sits calmly writing at a table. Odd floating lights, mysterious shadows, and intense cold spots are but a few of the many experiences guests of The Red Lion have reported. Yet, there are others who find the atmospheric charm, creaking floorboards, and dimly lit corridors to be inviting--calming, and peaceful. This is one historic site where every experience is completely unique to the person passing through.

Black Dogs, Ghostly Spirits, UFO’s, Crop Circles:

Emerging from The Red Lion on a cool evening and walking the streets of Avebury village, one might see the shadow of a large black dog--lurking along the edge of the woods. Tales of black dog sightings are abundant throughout Wiltshire. Some stories describe these spectres as omens of death. Others see them as protectors, whose size is as large as the fears of the observer. In any case, it is advised to avoid them.

You may notice strange lights flashing above, and rotating in the sky. As quick as you could blink, they would vanish. Wiltshire is known for a host of UFO sightings, and unexplained aerial phenomena. In walking the paths that wind through the fields, you may notice patches of wheat and barley laid flat. Crop circles are legendary here, known to appear overnight in remarkable intricacy and scope.

If you were to gaze into the expanse of the standing stones, you may see ghostly figures passing through at nighttime. Or, hear singing where no human forms can be found. Stories warn against invoking the wrath of “The Guardians”--the spirits attributed to protecting the stones. Warning tales of deadly accidents, where large stones had fallen on those seeking to destroy them, abound throughout the history of Avebury. Excavations have revealed evidence of one such tale, where the skull of a man was found alongside coins and artifacts from the 14th century--a period in time when the church was encouraging the destruction of the stones as pagan artifacts. It appears as though the stone had toppled onto this man, and it was so heavy that his neighbors had to leave it. The tools found with his remains suggest that he had been a barber, and the stone that crushed him--now erected upright in its original place--is known as “The Barber Stone.”

The majestic standing stones of Avebury inspire wonder--and trepidation. Profound curiosity, and amazement. Unlike Stonehenge, visitors can walk among and touch the stones of Avebury--be immersed in the age, the magic, and the enigma of their existence. It’s a living piece of history that all are free to experience, who wander through.