Organisers have cancelled this year’s Avebury Rocks festival but promise that it will return in 2014.

The fundraising event, which involves a 20-mile walk followed by an evening concert on the village sports ground, has been running for two years and was due to take place on June 6.

Now this year it will be replaced with a smaller event, Devil’s Den Rocks, which will involve a scaled back sponsored walk and music organised by Nick Harper on Sunday, August 4.

Mr Harper, whose late mother Monica Weston was a former headteacher of St Peter’s School in Marlborough, said: “One of the reasons is that we don’t have a headline act but it’s not the only reason.

“Times are tough and musicians have to make a living too, so if they have a chance to do a paid festival then that will take precedent over a charity gig. We’ve managed to get a headline act for the last two years so I think we would have been able to get someone.

“The committee works very hard and it’s all voluntary so I think it’s right that they have a bit of a break and come back re-energised next year.

“Also I think it’s good to mix it up to keep people curious.”

Devil’s Den Rocks will involve a 3.5-mile walk from the Avebury Stone Circle starting at 11am with music on the way.

The small gig at Devil’s Den is due to start at 1pm to raise money for Prospect Hospice and the Love Hope Strength Foundation, which was set up by rock singer and cancer survivor Mike Peters with the aim of taking cancer care to new heights across the world.

Those taking part are expected to start walking back to Avebury at about 2.30pm.

Participants are encourage to bring their own food, drink and bin liners so that no rubbish is left behind.

Mr Harper said: “I’ve set up a fundraising page for everybody doing the sponsored walk so the money can be collected in one place.

“The gig will be free but there will be collections, which I’ll be encouraging people to drop some money into to raise a bit more for the charities.

“I still wanted to do something personally this year because my mother died in Prospect Hospice, so my part of the justgiving team will be in her memory and Love Hope Strength does amazing work. I’ve been all over the world with them.”

To find out more, visit www.devilsdenrocks.org