Which really is the UK's oldest town?

However, Thatcham has been superseded in its claim as the UK's oldest town in continuous settlement. Researchers from the University of Buckingham in 2014 made discoveries that allowed carbon dating to prove that this Wiltshire town is the UK's oldest. It is two miles from Stonehenge, but predates it by some 5,000 years.

Amesbury, Wiltshire

However, Thatcham has been superseded in its claim as the UK's oldest town in continuous settlement. Researchers from the University of Buckingham in 2014 made discoveries that allowed carbon dating to prove that this Wiltshire town is the UK's oldest. It is two miles from Stonehenge, but predates it by some 5,000 years.

At the time, David Jacques, research fellow in archaeology at the university, who led the dig, said the discovery "blows the lid off" the traditional understanding of Stonehenge, helping to explain why it was built on the site where it stands today. "It provides evidence for people staying put, clearing land, building and presumably worshipping monuments." Today Amesbury is an attractive small town in the Avon valley, home to a population of 10,000.

Amesbury, a town forever in the shadow of Stonehenge

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