Human Origins: Pre-Historic Southwest England

15 July 2024 - Register at tours@newscientist.com and we will contact you when we launch the tour details. 

Immerse yourself in the early human periods of the Neolithic, Bronze and Iron Ages. A gentle walking tour that explores the pre-historic origins and evidence across Wiltshire and Dorset. 

Visiting several National Trust, English Heritage and UNESCO listed sites including Stonehenge, Old Sarum, Avebury Circle and Maiden Castle. Plus, talks from the directors of the Wiltshire and Salisbury museums about their archaeology collections. 

This tour is led by two Blue Badge accredited guides and joined in Cerne Abbas by New Scientist’s Editor-in-Chief Emily Wilson. Designed to help you really understand how to read the landscape and staying in the delightful market town of Devizes.

In partnership with Travel Editions

DAY 1: ARRIVE AT DEVIZES AND MEET THE TOUR PARTY

After checking into the Bear Hotel in the charming market town of Devizes, you will meet your fellow guests and the tour leaders, Sophie and Steven, for a welcome drink and dinner at the hotel. They will ensure everyone is introduced and introduce the tour ahead. 

DAY 2: CERNE ABBAS AND MAIDEN CASTLE

Around 8 am you will travel to Cerne Abbas by coach. You will be met in the village by New Scientist Editor-in-Chief, Emily Wilson, who will lead you on a guided walk (of under 6 miles) around the pre-historic landscape. Cerne Abbas is known for the Cerne Giant geoglyph, an ancient naked figure 180 feet tall and sculpted into the chalk hillside. It’s origin and age is unclear although one recent study has suggested an age of about 1,000 years.

Whilst the village grew up around a Benedictine Abbey that was founded in 987 AD, there is evidence of Iron Age settlement above the giant. During her time living in the village, Emily has found numerous examples of Iron Age tools on the local hilltops.

Cerne’s chalk stream and ancient springs have fuelled a highly successful brewing trade in past centuries. At one point, there were 15 breweries in the village. Today the village only has one brewery, but that one brewery has won multiple awards, and you can sample its beers during the tour. There will also be a lunch at one of Cerne’s famous inns.

You will then travel to Maiden Castle for ‘in-character’ guided tour of one of the largest and most complex Iron Age hillforts in Europe. Mostly built in the 1st century BC, it has huge multiple ramparts and is the size of 50 football pitches. Excavations have revealed evidence of occupation during the Neolithic, Bronze Age, Iron Age and Roman periods.

In the late afternoon, you will return to the hotel and enjoy dinner together.  A well-loved feature of our tours is a group dinner at the end of the day, with guests passionately discussing the sites explored that day.

DAY 3: EARTH MOUNDS, AVEBURY STONE CIRCLE AND KEILLER MUSEUM

After breakfast, you will drive to the Neolithic long-barrow Adam’s Grave, a trapezoidal earth mound covering burial chambers. From here you will walk towards Avebury stopping at West Kennet long barrow. It is one of the largest in Britain, built around 3400 BC and visitors can explore inside its five chambers.

Afterward, you will walk to Silbury Hill, the largest artificial mound in Europe. Completed around 2400 BC, it contains no burial chambers or remains and hence its original purpose remains unknown.

Today’s sites are part of the UNESCO Stonehenge and Avebury World Heritage Site and in the afternoon, you will reach Avebury henge and stone circles. The henge is a huge circular bank and ditch encircling Avebury village. Inside is the largest stone circle in Britain dating back to some time between 2850 BC and 22 BC.

In the nearby Alexander Keiller Museum, you will be able to see notable archaeological finds from today’s sites. It is housed in traditional stables and barns containing artifacts, coins and bones plus details on the excavations of the area.

By evening, you will have returned to the hotel for dinner together.

DAY 4: STONEHENGE, OLD SARUM, SALISBURY MUSEUM AND WILTSHIRE MUSEUM

Departing after an early breakfast, you will start walking from about 3 miles east of Stonehenge. This will allow you to visit several interesting sites including Woodhenge, Cuckoo Stone and the Cursus Barrows before the majesty of Stonehenge slowly reveals itself.

As one of the most famous landmarks in Britain, it attracts a lot of visitors but we are aiming to get you there by 9:30 when it opens, to appreciate its beauty without the crowds. Access to the site is thru timed tickets, which we will already have booked for you. The visitor’s centre is also worth a visit with an exhibition, outdoor gallery and reconstructed Neolithic houses. You will have plenty of time to explore the site before departing for lunch at the Bridge Inn, a whitewashed riverside pub.

After lunch, you will enjoy a two-hour walk to Old Sarum, a huge earthwork Iron Age Fort that eventually became a Norman castle. Indications of pre-historic settlement have been found from 3000 BC. It is thought to be at the intersection of two ancient trade routes and the Hampshire Avon river.

From here, you will take a short walk to Salisbury Museum, where the Director of the Wessex Gallery of Archaeology will give a short introduction. The museum covers the story of Salisbury from pre-historic times and includes artifacts from Stonehenge.

After relaxing back at the hotel, you will take a short walk to the Wiltshire Museum for a private visit and introduction from the museum director. Here you will explore over 500,000 years of Wiltshire’s story and the collection includes more finds from around Stonehenge including tools and decorative objects. You will then enjoy a farewell dinner hosted within the museum.

DAY 5: DEPART DEVIZES

After a final leisurely breakfast together it’s time to depart. Checkout is at 11 am but if you wish to stay a few more nights to enjoy the area, we can arrange this for you.