Marden Henge

Development of the Neolithic earthworks, now known as henges, began in the second half of the fourth millennium B.C. Their purpose is more likely to have been ceremonial/religious rather than defensive. The wall of Marden Henge was composed of irregular embankments, and there was a moat inside it which divided the interior into four areas. Studies show that there may be no traces of construction on the southwest and south sides of Marden Henge; instead, the steep banks of the River Avon serve as the boundary. The henge is an irregular oval walled area measuring 1700 ft north to south and 1200 ft east to west, on the north bank of the River Avon, approximately 6 mi upstream of Durrington…

The circular enclosure consists of a circular depression and a central platform. The platform is lower than the surrounding ground and its position is shifted northward. The enclosure is roughly oval in shape, and is enclosed by a typical bank and internal ditch arrangement constructed on the east, north and north-west sides and by the River Avon to the south and west. Its greatest width is 530 m and it encompasses an area of 14 ha, and it is under the care of English Heritage. Antiquarian accounts of the site describe a huge mound within the enclosure called Hatfield Barrow, which collapsed after excavation by William Cunnington in the early 19th century. Today, Marden Henge has been…