Derek Jarman

Journey To Avebury (1971)

With all thoughts of going outside for the fine weather and the sounds of the birds, we thought it the ideal moment to take a look at something special from Derek Jarman's archive.

A Journey to Avebury is a short experimental Super 8 film made by Jarman in 1971, in a period when he was just beginning to transition to film as his preferred medium. It charts a walking journey he made through the Wiltshire landscape to the Neolithic stones at Avebury. This version has a remastered soundtrack by Coil, which was commissioned to accompany the film at festival showings in the mid-1990s. Jarman’s painterly eye can be felt in almost every shot, it’s a beautiful piece of work from an inspiring figure in 20th Century British culture. It will be wonderful when Avebury is open again.

Further reading