Adding us as a Preferred Source tells Google you trust our content, so our articles show up more often in your Google Search, Discover feed, and AI Overviews.
verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies.
Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
Amesbury
England, United Kingdom
Also known as: Ambresbery, Ambresbyrig
Amesbury: church of St. Mary and St. MelorChurch of St. Mary and St. Melor, Amesbury, Wiltshire, England.
Amesbury, town (parish), administrative and historic county of Wiltshire, southern England. It is situated in the southern part of the Salisbury Plain, in the valley of the River Avon (East, or Hampshire, Avon).
The region is rich in prehistoric remains, including Stonehenge, 1.5 miles (2.5 km) west of Amesbury, the greatest surviving megalithic structure in the British Isles (designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1986). At Amesbury (Ambresbyrig, or Ambresbery) a Witan, or Witenagemot, the Anglo-Saxon kings’ council of wise men, was held in 932. Now a small market town, it also caters to the needs of tourists visiting Stonehenge and serves such neighboring army camps as Larkhill. Pop. (2001) 8,907; (2011) 10,724.
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica This article was most recently revised and updated by Mindy Johnston.
Discover the fascinating events that shaped the world, straight from our editors.
By clicking “Sign Up”, you consent to the Britannica
Privacy Policy
and
Terms of Use.