Windmill Hill, Avebury

About

Windmill Hill is the largest known Neolithic causewayed enclosure in Britain, a hilltop ringed by three concentric ditches broken by crossing points, built around 3675 BC and used until around 2500 BC. Alexander Keiller bought most of the hill in the 1920s, saving it from a planned Marconi relay station, and his excavations found flint tools, early pottery, animal bones and a young child's skeleton, many now in the Alexander Keiller Museum in Avebury. The finds suggest feasting, trading or ritual, perhaps all three. Bronze Age round barrows on the summit are the clearest features today. Part of the Avebury World Heritage Site, it is managed by the National Trust for English Heritage. Reviewers value the quiet and the open views across the downs, though the ditches are easy to lose in the grass. Walk up from Avebury rather than driving the narrow farm track, which has no turning space. Sheep graze here, so keep dogs on leads.

Historic SiteDog friendlyDogs on leads

Open in daylightFrom English Heritage's calendar

Open any reasonable time in daylight

From English Heritage's published calendar, updated 1 October 2026, with dates up to 16 March 2027.

Opening times may change at short notice.

Open any reasonable time during daylight hours; free entry for everyone.

In National Trust freehold ownership and English Heritage guardianship, managed by the National Trust on behalf of English Heritage. Toilets and a cafe are near the Alexander Keiller Museum in Avebury.

Accessibility: a walk of about 1.5 miles up a moderate incline from the centre of Avebury; wear suitable footwear.

Parking: National Trust car park at Avebury (open 9am to 6pm), free for EH and NT members; the farm track to the hill is not suitable for driving.

Hero photograph: Gareth James. CC BY-SA 2.0. Resized and converted to WebP. Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tumulus_on_Windmill_Hill_-_geograph.org.uk_-_5042690.jpg

Dogs at the location: Allowed with restrictions. Dogs are welcome on leads; sheep may be grazing.

Dog walks in the grounds: Allowed with restrictions. Dogs may be walked on leads over the open-access hill; sheep may be grazing. No admission or membership needed.

Leads: On leads; sheep may be grazing.

PricingFreeFree for all visitors

Free entry for everyone

Entry

Free for everyone

Pricing details

Free to everyone; open access site in daylight.

ParkingFree for members

Park at the National Trust car park at Avebury, some distance away, then walk about 1.5 miles up to the hill; EH and NT members park free.

Parking details

EH directs visitors to the National Trust car park at Avebury, which is some distance from Windmill Hill, and says it is free for English Heritage members; the National Trust page says NT and EH members park free by scanning their membership card. Non-members pay: cars £8 all day or £5 after 3pm. The car park is open 9am to 6pm.

EH mentions possible grass-verge parking nearer the monument, but the track to it is a narrow, rough single track with no turning head, used constantly by farm vehicles.

Driving arrival: Avebury National Trust Car Park on the A4361 (SN8 1RD), the only car park EH names; the hill is a walk of about 1.5 miles from Avebury.