Gloucestershire 20 S.W. Parish of Charlton Abbots. 12*.

Latitude 51' 53' 13". Longitude 1"34' 04". Height above O.D., about 980 feet.

Belas Knap is in many respects one of the most instructive (and perfect) chambered Long Barrows in Gloucestershire. In plan it resembles Windmill Tump, Rodmarton (No. 56), but it possesses two features peculiar to itself ; it is oriented to a point 23 degrees west of true north, and the main portal, or horned end, is at the northern end of the barrow. It was excavated in 1863, 1864 and 1865. The following account is based upon the published accounts of these excavations, supplemented by a careful examination made by the writer and Mr. D. W. Herdman of the Cheltenham Municipal Museum, on October 14th, 1922.

The barrow consists of the following parts:-

(1) A portal (A) at the north end, where the surrounding wall curves gracefully inwards.

(2) A chamber (D) on the west side, approached from outside.

(3) A similar chamber (C) on the east side.

(4) Remains of a passage (B) with corbelled roofing, on the east side.

(5) A passage (E) running N, and S. at the south end of the barrow.

(6) A circle of stones (F) with remains of burning.

i) The Portal. This consists at present of two uprights between which is set a vertical slab. The lintel which the uprights originally supported has fallen and lies on the ground nearly touching the western upright. The eastern upright is 5 ft. 5 ins. high, and its top (which seems to have been artificially levelled) is 2 ft. above the top of the central slab. The western upright is 5 ft. 10 ins. high ; at a point 4 ft. 6 ins. above the ground (1 ft. 4ins. below the top of the upright) a sill or small shelf has been cut on the inner (eastern) side of the stone ; this appears to have been done to make a resting place for the lintel ; the distance from the artificially leveled led top of the eastern upright to the inner corner of the shelf - which is 4 ft. 7 ins. - is exactly the same as the length of the fallen lintel. It should, however, be noted that the height of the shelf above the ground (4 ft. 6 ins.) is nearly a foot less than the height of the top of the eastern upright. When originally discovered the lintel "rested on two massive pillars or supports but it is not clear from this account whether it rested on the shelf or on the top I of the eastern upright. The accompanying woodcut does not show the shelf. A comparison with the photograph (opp. p. 70) taken at the time of the excavations shows that it is not very accurate.

The distance between the inner faces of the two uprights - which is also the width of the central slab - is 3 ft. 10 ins.; the central slab itself is 11 ins. thick and 3 ft. 7ins. high. It is difficult to say now whether it has been artificially shaped, but that is by no means unlikely. It is set in the middle uprights which project north and south beyond it. The plan (without the lintel) is therefore of the shape of a capital H. This is also the plan of the "dolmen" called Kit's Coty House [Map] in Kent, which is nothing else than the portal of a Long Barrow, whose burial chambers (if such existed) have been destroyed.

The lintel is 4 ft. 7 ins. long and 3 ft. 9 ins. wide, and 9 ins. thick. It lies on the ground, but not, probably, on the original surface which appears now to be covered with the debris of excavation to a depth of nearly 3 feet.

The following is an account of the excavations made at this part of the barrow in the autumn of 1863 (Mr. L. Winterbotham in Proc. Soc. Ant. 3 S. in. 1866, 377). "In clearing this portion a piece of Belas Knap. pottery, bearing the marks of the lathe [sic], and certainly of Roman origin, was found .... On the stone [presumably the lintel] was a massive lower jaw ['evidently that of an ancient Briton of about 30 years of age, with every tooth complete' says Thurnam, Mem. Anthr. Soc. i., 474] with no other bone of any kind about it. Immediately under the stone, about 8 feet above the level of the ground, were the remains of five children, from under one year to about seven years of age ; all the bones requisite for building up the skeletons were present, more or less warped and flattened ; and the position and preservation of such minute and delicate bones, under a stone of such magnitude, preclude the idea of this being anything but a primary interment, and seem to show that the combination of stones at the north end was not merely an entrance to a chamber. This view is further supported by the fact that, in the subse quent explorations, no sign of any chamber was found in connection with what appears to be an entrance." Thumam's account (quoted above) differs slightly and runs as follows:- "On raising the [lintel] stone, there were found among the rubble the skeletons of a young man of less than twenty, and of five children from six months to eight years of age. The jaws of the adult were broken but the teeth were seen to be slightly eroded and the third molars to have not yet protruded. The femur measured seventeen inches. This skull closely approaches the brachycephalous type, with a relative breadth of .79 ; its measurements are given in the Table [II, at the end of the volume] under the letter D.¹ There is some parieto-occipital flatness, and at the coronal end of the sagittal suture is a small Wormian bone. The children's skulls are too fragmentary to permit the type, whether long or short, to be determined. In that of about eight years of age, the frontal suture is persistent. With these skeletons were many bones, tusks and teeth of pig and horse, with several flakes of flint, one fine one with a delicately serrated edge, and two or three fragments of coarse British pottery.

"Were the human skeletons found in this part of the tumulus those of victims sacrificed in honour of the dead who were interred in the principal chambers ; and if so, is it not probable that they were those of a different tribe, and perhaps entirely different race ? The obvious difference of type is in favour of this view." It seems highly probable that the answer to Thurnam's questions is in the affirmative, and further, that the secondary interments were of people belonging to the beaker-folk, whose territory lay both to the south and east of the Cotswolds.

Note 1. The following figures are given in Table 11 Page 18 ; cubic capacity ro6 ; circumference, 20.6 ; length, 7.2 ; breadth 5.7 p ; height. 5.5 ; breadth-length, .79 ; height- length, ,76. This skull is now exhibited in the Cheltenham Municipal Museum, where it has been placed on loan by the Cheltenham College Museum authorities. A skull (broken and mended) marked A2, is in the Cheltenham College Museum.

(3) The Eastern Chamber (C). This chamber does not correspond exactly with D ; and where it differs, it does so in a very interesting way. It is nearly the same size, and is terminated, like the other, by a single upright. But the sides are each formed by a single stone, and the entrance by two more. These two latter (Nos. 2 and 6 on the plan) have their inner sides hollowed out in a semi-circular fashion to form a kind of porthole 2 ft. 4 ins. in diameter. This important feature, which has hitherto escaped notice at Belas Knap, occurs also at Rodmarton, Avening, and probably Notgrove, and has been dealt with in the Professional Paper already referred to (p. 5).¹ Here, however, the upper and lower parts of the stones do not appear to have been so close together as (to judge from the drawings given) was the case elsewhere. The chamber is approached by a passage flanked by walls of oolitic slates; at the entrance this passage is 3 ft. 8 ins. wide, but it narrows gradually to a width of 3 ft. 3 ins. On the south side the wall runs right up to Stone 6, but on the other side, dry walling is replaced by a single stone (No. i), 2 ft. 5 ins. long, terminating against Stone 2. This combination of orthostatic and "dry" masonry is very suggestive, since we believe that the order of evolution was from the former to the latter. It points to a late date for the construction of the barrow, and is in keeping with the dummy portal, the external approach to the chambers and the corbelled roofing (instead of capstones) with which they were covered.

Note 1. Further information about holed stones will be found in an article by Professor Montelius, Prshistorische Zeitschrift (Berlin) Vol. ii., Part 4, pp 258, 9, where is a map showing the distribution in Sweden of megalithic graves with artificially hollowed semi-circles. Similar stones (consisting sometimes of a single flat stone with a circular perforation) occur in Brittany and North France; Monsieur Leon Coutil has given an excellent account of these in Mem. Soc. préh. française, Vol. iv, (1915-19), 21, "Note sur les cloisons perforees," following an account of an alleé couverte with a perforated stone at Vaudancourt, Oise. To his list of English examples may now be added the Devil's Ring and Finger near Market Drayton, Staffordshire ; the perforated stone at Billingsley, Shropshire, if it is a genuine antiquity (see p. - ) ; and the opposed semi-circles at Belas Knap. Monsieur Coutil says (p. 23):- "Les cloisons d'Avening et de Rodmarton formees de deux pierres echancrees et reunies, comme aux allées couvertes de Champigneulles (Oise), Aubergenville (Seine-et-Oise) et La Sauvagere (Ome). Il existe dans le Caucase, la Palestine et aux Indes des dolmens avec cloison portant une perforation circulaire (Figs. 10, 12 et 13)." These facts of distribution have, of course, been known for long.

Thurnam's account (Mem. Anthr. Soc. i. 476) of the skulls from the eastern chamber (C) is as follows:- "With one exception (C.2) all are of the long or narrow-oval type, and with the exception of two others (C.4 and C.8) are extremely dolichocephalous. The two skulls, C.1 and C.2 are very perfect and well preserved ; they present considerable difference in form. C.1 is massive and heavy, and is obviously that of a powerful man. It is of narrow and elongate form, having a relative breadth (.68) as low as that of any skull in this very dolichocephalous series. The sides are much flattened, so that it approaches the scaphoid form. The frontal is narrow and receding ; the supraciliaries remarkably prominent and overhanging ; the face short and narrow ; the upper maxillse deeply hollowed ; the teeth much eroded and obliquely jagged. The squamous and sphenoid sutures are open ; the sagittal extensively obliterated, the coronal less so, and the lambdoid less so still. The left parietal foramen is alone present ; it is of large size with gaping rounded edges.

"The skull C.2 departs more than any other from the general type observed in these crania. It is sub-brachycephalous with a relative breadth of .77. The sex may be doubtful ; but on the whole I believe it to be the skull of a woman. (The crowns of the upper incisors are worn down to the very fangs). Whether this implies a variation in the type of the dolichocephalous race to whom I refer this class of barrows, or whether, in this instance, and in that of the skull from near the trilith A [the portal], we have a case of admixture of the other race with prevailing brachycephalous type of the skull, can only be conjectured. The general rule is, at least, not invalidated by two apparent exceptions. . It is unnecessary to describe the rest of the skulls separately. On the whole, those of the men correspond with C.i ; and those of the women have likewise an aspect in common, which in several instances approaches to a family character. This is likewise the case with the skulls of the young men from Chamber D ; in which the parietal tubers are more prominent than in those from the opposite chamber. In the majority of all the crania, the sagittal and coronal sutures, especially the former, are considerably effaced and ossified ; and in a very considerable proportion the ossified sagittal present a rugose and thickened appearance in the posterior third of its extent, around the seat of the parietal foramina. In scarcely any instance is there more than one of these foramina, which are remarkable for their large size, and patulous and rounded edges. The single foramen is sometimes in the edge of the right, sometimes in that of the left parietal bone." Dr. Thurnam adds that the skulls "are in the possession of L. Winterbotham, Esq., of Amberley House, Cheltenham." They are now fortunately in the safe keeping of the Museums of Cheltenham Municipality and College.

(5) A Passage (E), running N. and S. at the south end of the Barrow.

The sides of this passage are formed of dry walling without any large upright stones. The width is 3 ft. 3 ins. throughout, and the length 17 ft. The north end is closed by a vertical upright slab. The published account is again very inadequate ; and the published plan does not agree with the visible remains. There are no signs of any "cist"; the square chamber, whose sides according to the plan are about 8 feet in length, cannot be seen ; and the perfect condition of the passage and the blocking end-stone make it unlikely that any such ever existed. Moreover the total length from the north end of the chamber to the surrounding wall of the barrow on the south is only (according to the plan) about 12 feet at the most, which is 5 feet less than the present length of the passage.

The account (Proc. Soc. Ant. 2 S. Hi. 1866, 279, describing Mr. J. C. Chamberlayne's excavations in June, 1865) is as follows:- "Other and considerable openings were subsequently made to the south and west of this [the circle of stones, F], but without any result except at the centre of the exterior southern wall. In following the course of this, an opening was found, leading to a small cist (E). It was apparently perfect and untouched. Portions of a human skull, and some teeth, and a deposit of animal bones, probably a wild boar, were met with in working down to it. It was walled all round, covered with three large horizontal stones, each about three feet square, but only contained pieces of broken stones. Mr. Winterbotham adds:- 'The very fragmentary skull and the boar's bones found at the south end are said to present marks of cremation. If this is the case they show the only signs of fire anywhere about the tumulus, except in the neighbourhood of the stone circle between the two cells.' [These are the chambers C and D.] Excavation immediately to the north of the closing end-stone might help to elucidate this part of the mound ; and if undertaken should be carried on to a point west of B, where the remains of another chamber may still survive under the rubble which now lies there.

The whole barrow is surrounded by a dry wall of oolitic slates, which was constructed with great care and precision. This wall is still preserved intact where it curves inwards at the north end towards the portal ; and in the vicinity of the chambers C and D. It is made in the same way as the modern field walls, but with smaller and more carefully selected stones. (In passing we may note the great antiquity of the craft of the dry-waller, one of our oldest industries). Unfortunately, the wall on the east side of the portal is rapidly disintegrating. When I first visited it in 1920 a large bulge was visible ; this was clearly doomed to break very soon ; and when I returned in 1922 it had actually broken. The corners of this wall are most excellently fashioned where the wall is discontinued at the entrance to the chambers (see view opposite p. 89). A peculiar and very suggestive feature is the presence of much larger blocks at the top of the wall by the entrance to chamber C. Elsewhere the wall is covered by debris.

W. 3.

Annals of Winchcombe and Sudeley, by Emma Dent, London, 1877, pp. 4-9 (plan very inaccurate, p. 6).

Proc. Soc. Ant. 2 S., in., 1866, 275-282 (plan, inaccurate, "adapted" from Thurnam's). Thi-s is the best account of the barrow and its excavation, and is the one most quoted above.

hurnam ; Mem. Anthr. Soc.y i, 1863, 474-7 (plan, inaccurate, p, 474).

Proc. C.N.F.C.i VI., 1876, 337 (summary only).

Trans. B. and G.A.S., v. (1880-81), 100-103 (summary and in part verbatim quotation of Proc. Soc. Ant. account).

Journal of the Anthropological Society of London, Vol. iii., 1865, pp. Lxx to lxxiv. (A detailed account of the bones, with measurements, by Dr. Bird).

Arch. XLII.

(See also 105 "Twmie Stone")

Gloucestershire, 50 N.W. Parish of Bisley-with-Lypiatt. 13 *.

Latitude 51° 44' 37" Longitude 2° 7' 28" Height above O.D. about 740 feet.

Witts says:- "A Long Barrow was opened in 1863 a little to the south of Bisley. A short account of it appeared in the local papers at the time, but I have been unable to find it. The barrow has since been entirely destroyed." Mr. A. E. W. Paine has a trephined skull (see plate opposite) from this Long Barrow, an account of which was published in the Proc. of the R. Soc. of Medicine. Mr. Paine and the Rev. R. Jowett Burton have succeeded in locating the site of a Long Barrow, which seems to be the one here described. It lies in a small spinney on the N.E. side of Limekiln Lane, immediately N.E. of the "n" in Limekiln on Glouc. 50 N.W. (ed. of 1903). The fields due west of this point are called Twizzle Stone on the Tithe Map of 1873. A summary of all that is known of this barrow appears in Mr. Paine's note in Proc. C.N.F.C. xvii. Lysons tells us that it was called "Solomon's Court."

A possible reference to this barrow was made by Mr. Lowder:- "There is a Long Barrow, almost intact, in Througham field, another very large one at Avenis, sometimes written Avonedge, a property belonging to Dr. Paine, opened some years ago, and found to contain very interesting remains; and what are believed to be the relics of a third, a little to the north-east, on the property of C. H. Stanton, Esq."

In addition to the trephined skull, Mr. Paine has in his collection from this barrow part of a child's mandible, part of the mandible of an old man, and many cranial and other fragments of human bones.

W. 4.

Arch. XLII., 201.

Proc. C.N.F.C., XVII. (1912), 341-3. Plate 41.

Proc. R. Soc. Med., Vol. XIV. (No. 10), August, 1921 (86 pp.) "The Prehistoric trephined skulls of Great Britain," by T. Wilson Parry, M.A., M.D., etc.

Trans. B. and G.A.S., Vol. v. 38. Mr. Lowder.

Lysons, "Our British Ancestors," p, 116.

Gloucestershire, 49 S.W. Parish of Wood Chester. 15 *.

Latitude 51° 42' 51'. Longitude2° i5'23''. Height above O.D. about 750 feet.

The following account is quoted in full from the Proceedings of the Cotteswold Field Club, because, with the exception of a summary of 16 lines by Witts (p. 75), it is the only record of the "excavation" and is very inaccessible:-

" Wednesday, May 20th, 1863, The Club met at Stroud. The principal work of the day was the opening of a 'barrow' on Sown Hill, near Woodchester, which had formed a subject of discussion towards the end of the previous season, when, the period of the year being too far advanced, the work of exploration was deferred. Workmen had been employed under Dr. Paine and Mr. Witchell on the two previous days ; but beyond the discovery of the entrance to the sepulchral chambers no great progress had been made in the excavation of the mound, which, from its size and solidity, proved to be a very laborious operation. In order, therefore, to expedite matters, a strong force of labourers, 22 in number, had been employed from an early hour on the day of the meeting. The mound, which measured about 60 yards in length by 17 in extreme width, was seen to be constructed of angular masses of stone, heaped together without any order or regularity, amongst which were scattered blocks of considerable size and weight.

"The excavators had opened a trench about 100 feet in length, in a direction due east and west by compass. The western extremity was the broadest, the mound gradually diminishing in width to the opposite end. The workmen had struck upon the entrance, which, when exposed, showed a chamber formed of five large, unhewn stones, two on each side, and one placed transversely, the dimensions of which were 4 feet in width by 8 feet 6 inches in length. There was no covering stone, but the entrance was flanked on either side by a wall of dry masonry, very neatly fitted, forming a segment of a circle, which, if completed, would have enclosed a well-like chamber in front of the entrance to the tumulus. This wall had been abruptly broken off ; but there were amongst those present some who thought they detected signs of its having been at one time continuous. It was evident that the whole structure had been thoroughly ransacked and broken up by former explorers ; and so completely had the work of devastation been accomplished that hardly one stone was left upon another. The chambers, with the one exception already noted, had been entirely demolished, and but a few bones scattered throughout the tumulus remained, all more or less in a fragmentary condition. These fragments comprised one fully developed frontal bone, male ; portions of two male lower jaws, and portions of two female skulls ; several thigh bones, and bones of the leg and foot, including the remains of children, but all much broken. There were found the remains of six individuals at the least, viz., two men, two women and two children, the latter between six and eight years of age. There w'ere several bones of cattle and calves ; teeth of horse and ox ; a portion of the bones of the foreleg of a dog ; several boars' teeth, tusks and grinders, and parts of jaw bones ; a bone 'scoop,' formed of a shank bone of a horse ; and a large quantity of a black, unctuous substance, having the appearance of w'ood or animal charcoal ; but no burnt bones. A small portion of a flint flake was detected in the black paste. Besides the organic remains above enumerated, some pieces of rude pottery" were found, which, with a Roman brass coin of the Emperor Germanicus, complete the list of objects yielded by the exploration of this large sepulchral mound, w"hich, in consequence of the violence it had undergone at the hands of former explorers, afforded but little to compensate the Club for the trouble and expense of opening it." Visited December 1st, 1920.

The present height (greatest as usual at the east end) is about 10 feet. The extreme eastern end has been destroyed by quarrying, now discontinued. Signs of excavations are visible at the east end (where presumably the entrance referred to above was found) and a trench has been dug across the barrow from north to south at a point a little east of its middle. A shallow depression is visible on the north side near the west end, but otherwise the whole of the barrow to the west of the cross trench appears to be undisturbed. The general state of preservation would be regarded as good, if w"e did not know that it had been excavated in the middle of the 19th century. There are no signs of ditches or of any surrounding wall. The barrow lies in a patch of rough pasture and is in no apparent danger of destruction. It stands near the highest point (763 feet) of the hill, and commands a magnificent view. South eastwards can be seen the Berkshire Downs (probably the White Horse Hill and Wayland's Smithy [Map]) ; northwards May Hill and the Malvern Hills are visible ; in the western distance are the Brecknock Beacons and the Black Mountains, and in the foreground the Severn Estuary and the Forest of Dean.

A Round Barrow lies about 70 yards away in a ploughed field to the north-west.

In the Cheltenham College Museum are four certainly Romano-British potsherds from this barrow, and some bones and fragments. Mr. A. E. W. Paine, of Cheltenham, has in his collection from this barrow the following objects:- Parts of two human mandibles and of two or three skulls ; some detached human teeth ; two boars' tusks ; eight fragments of pottery and two rim-pieces ; one of the body fragments is neolithic and finger-marked, and one is certainly Romano-British ; a Roman coin (presumably that of Germanicus referred to above) ; a bone scoop made from the leg bone of a horse (figured on the next page) ; a sandstone hammer or pounder ; and two teeth of Bos primigenim (identified by Dr. C. W. Andrews, of the British Museum).

NOTE. - Since the above account was written Mr. Paine has sent me the following account condensed from notes written by his father who took part in the original excavation in 1863. As it contains the record of facts not elsewhere published I quote it here in full:-

"Bown Hill Long Barrow is situated on the summit of the ridge on the northern side of Woodchester Park, at an elevation of 760 feet, some three miles from Stroud, and is about 600 yards to the S. of the road leading from Stroud to Dursley.

"It was examined by 'the Cotteswold Naturalists' Field Club' on May 20th, 1863, workmen having been employed in opening it on their behalf on the two preceding days, under the direction of Dr. W. H. Paine and Mr. Edwin Witchell of Stroud.

"The Barrow, which was constructed of angular masses of stone, heaped together without any order, was 180 feet in length, 60 feet in width at its eastern end, gradually decreasing to less than 40 feet at its western extremity, and 14 feet in height at the highest part. Its direction was East-North-East and West-South-West, the eastern end being the higher. The entrance was found at the eastern end and was formed of beautifully constructed semi-circular dry walling well supported and strengthened by stone backing of considerable depth. The single chamber which existed within this entrance was 8 feet 6 ins. in length, by 4 feet in width, and was formed of five large stones set on edge, two on each side and one placed transversely. The covering stones had been removed, and the chamber had evidently been examined and its contents greatly disturbed at some previous time.

"In the chamber were fragments of the skulls of three or four adults, many vertebrae and limb bones, the clavicle of an infant and the rib of a young child. Of these fragments it was found possible to construct nearly an entire skull, which proved to be that of a man of a long headed race. Many human teeth were scattered about and these as well as those fixed in the jaws were all much worn.

"Besides the human remains were bones and teeth of horse, ox, wild boar and dog, a bone implement described by Dr. Thurnam as 'a scoop or gouge-shaped chisel made out of the shank bone of a horse,' a broken whetstone, and a portion of a rubbing stone, both of quartzite, several flint flakes, one or two of which have secondary working, a quartzite pebble, a fragment of ironstone and eight small pieces of pottery, one of which has a pattern made by the impression of a finger nail.

"High up near the surface of the Barrow, a Roman coin was turned up.

"There were no signs of cremation having been practised within the Barrow, the bones were untouched by fire, though the surface of the mound showed indications of its action and much burnt material had been washed by the rains among the loose stones of the upper part. This was believed to be due to beacon fires having at various times been kindled on the mound, as it is situated in a commanding position and the view from it is very extensive."

W. 5.

Proc. C.N.F.C., III., 1865, 199, 200

Gloucestershire, 42 N.W. Parish of Miserden. 16*.

Latitude 51° 46' 48". Longitude 2° 07' 30''. Height above O.D., 864 feet.

"There are two interesting Long Barrows (Camp Barrow [south] is the other) a little to the south of the village of Camp, two miles north of Bisley ; they have been previously described as Round Barrows, but such is not the case. They are situated close together, the 'horned' ends being only 15 feet apart ; they extend in contrary directions, one towards the north, the other [this one] towards the south. . The northern barrow measures 150 feet by 74 feet, the 'horned' ends being towards the south. There are four large stones visible in this barrow, forming a chamber. A great number of human skeletons have at various times been dug up near the village of Camp."

Visited December 12th, 1920.

This barrow, the northern one, stands in two fields ; a wall crosses the barrow at right angles (from E. to W.). The four stones stand at the southern end of the barrow, in the same field as W. 7. Two of them have fallen ; they evidently once formed part of a megalithic structure. The whole of the mound has been dug over, and there are two large heaps of spoil, E. and W. of the apparent site of the chamber, where also many loose stones lie about. A sycamore grows on the S.E. side and a single pine at the N.W. corner of the field, which is used for keeping pigs in.

In the Cheltenham College Museum are exhibited the following bones:- i. Part of a child's mandible, labelled "Camp's tumulus, under eet. 18; several small skeletons, knees up to chin, i860." 2. Part of occipital and parietal bones (one unbroken fragment) labelled "Camp's tumulus, i860, with bones of . . ." [left blank].

W, 6. (Quoted above).

Gloucestershire, 42 S.E. Parish of Duntisbourne Rouse. 19 *.

Latitude 51° 45' 08". Longitude 2° 03' 31". Height above O.D. about 690 feet.

Excavated in 1882 by Witts with the permission of Lord Bathurst. "The two mounds formed the ends of a huge Long Barrow, having a total length of 210 feet. The central portion of the tumulus must have been removed ages back. The circumscribing wall is in a good state of preservation on the south side. The direction of the barrow is nearly east and west. Further examination will, I hope, enable me to give a fuller description of this very interesting prehistoric monument at a future time. During the late excavation one verj'' perfectly formed flint scraper was found, and several small bones. Part of the outside wall at the west end was removed a few years back, but no interments have yet been found. There are several round barrows in the immediate neighbourhood, and Pinbury Camp is only one mile distant on the south."

Visited December 13th, 1920. It now stands in a beech plantation called College Plantation. There is a deep excavation (evidently left open by Witts) in the western of the two mounds, and another in the eastern. There is no sign of any chamber, walling, large stones, or other indications of chambers. It seems that Witts' excavations were not resumed. Some correspondence relating to this barrow' is preserved amongst Witts' papers at the Cheltenham Town Museum; but, though quite entertaining, it contains very few' details of archaeological interest. The "excavations" appear to have been begun to obtain road-making material ; and it seems to have been due to Witts that they were stopped. A communication to the B. and G. Society, promised on Witts' behalf by Sir Wm. Guise, does not appear to have been printed.

W. 12.

Glouc. N. and Q., 11., 1884, 169.

(often described as "The Shurdington Barrow")

Gloucestershire, 34 N.E. Parish of Coberley. 23*.

Latitude 51° 51' 17". Longitude 2° 05' 43". Height above O.D. about 850 feet.

Lies in Barrow Piece Plantation. Length, 189 feet ; maximum width, 100 feet ; height, 12 to 20 feet. Oriented east and west. Witts says: "Many years ago the tenant of the land began to move away part of the earth at the southern extremity, and in doing so uncovered a cromlech, in which was found a skeleton and several articles of which no satisfactory account can now be obtained. . It has never been thoroughly examined though it has been carefully protected by placing a fence round it .... There are two Round Barrows in the same field." Said f (J.B.A.A. I. 153), to have been "opened formerly by Lysons, in which he found under a kistvaen a skeleton in a stone coffin." Witts' account is quoted from J.B.A.A. nr, 64. (March 19th, 1847. Mr. Wright).

Visited December 20th, 1920. The field in which it stands has since been planted with firs, and a clump of dark pines on and round the barrow itself, make it conspicuous as one approaches from the east. The whole of the east (highest) end has been dug out, leaving a huge crater in which lies one large, flat stone. This appears to have been part of a chamber or portal, and there are suggestions of walling which a little excavation might reveal. Otherwise the barrow is unmutilated. The signs of walling now visible round the edge are probably modern. The fence has disappeared.

W. II.

J.B.A.A., I., 153., III., 64.

T. Wright, Celt, Roman and Saxon, 1875, pp. 53, 74.

Anthropological Review, in. pp. LXVI, Lxxi.

Arch. XLII., 201.

Gloucestershire, 21 S.E. Parish of Eyford. 24*.

Latitude 51° 55' 50". Longitude 1° 47' 44". Height above O.D. about 620 feet.

Visited November 17th, 1920, and again October 21st, 1922. It stands in a ploughed field, and at present is in much the same dilapidated condition as the other "excavated" barrows in the district. It is covered with rough grass and a few bushes, and a single thorn stands a few yards to the N.W. of it.

The following is summary of Rolleston's lengthy account of it, printed in J.A.I.:- It was examined in September, 1874 by Professor Rolleston, the Rev. David Royce and Canon Greenwell, and a plan made by Sir H. Dryden. The distance from the west end "as restored to the centre point of the eastward end was 108 feet. The distance between the tips of the two horns was 44 feet ; the barrow tapered gradually from this, its extreme width, to a width of 24 feet at its westward end." The height was about 4 feet. The two horns were not symmetrical. The limiting wall was made of the local Stonesfield slate "arranged in about 14 horizontal rows, and forming a boundary about 2 feet wide and i foot 9 inches high. The body of the barrow was formed of stones, with a general inclination inwards towards the middle line from either side." Three cists and one chamber were found.

(1) Chamber marked C on the plan, more or less ruined before excavations were begun. Fragmentary remains of two bodies were found. One of these had been an adult, one a child, with the milk dentition only in place. The bones of the adult were discoloured with manganic oxide, as were those of an ox and horse found with them ; those of the child were not."

(2) Cist, marked D on the plan. "It was 80 feet from the re-entering angle at the eastward end, and being about 5 feet 6 inches by 4 feet, had its long axis at right angles to, and in the middle line of the barrow." In this cist w'ere found parts of tw'o adult human skeletons, of the skeletons of three children, of one child and of a dog. The femur of a sheep and the bone of a pig were also found. One of the adults was a man of moderate strength, past the middle period of life; the other was a woman, 4 feet 10 inches in height. The woman's femur w^as 16 inches long, and both it and the other bones found in this cist give the idea "of their owners having had hard work and poor food." Three of the children were between the ages of seven and eight; the child was two years old.

(3) Cist, marked E on the plan. "It was 4 feet 6 inches wide at its widest part, 3 feet at its narrower. ... Its narrower end was within a couple of feet of the north w'all of the barrow ; its south-east angle was 82 feet from the re-entering angle of the east end." Parts of ten skeletons were found. The following is a summary of their chief features:- (a) Skull with part of lower jaw of a strong man in the middle period of life ; cephalic index, 72. (b) Skull, with part of lower jaw of a woman past middle life. (The bead of Kimmeridge shale was found in association with this skull or the preceding) ; cephalic index, 77. (c) "Portion of calvaria of, probably, woman in or past middle period of life, (d) Skull of woman in middle period of life ; cephalic index, 72. (e) Skull, complete, of a man in middle period of life ; cephalic index (approx.) 74. (/) Mandible of strong man about 30. (g) Mandible of old man or woman. (A) Remains of a child of 11-12 years, (f) Skull of an old woman (?) cephalic index (approx.) 75 ; but it seems to have been mixed up with other bones belonging to a strong man (7) whose height was 5 feet 6 inches.

Since the above account was written, I have come across, by a happy accident, a letter from Lysons giving a fuller account of his activities. It is pasted into Vol. XLii of ArchcBologia, in the copy at Devizes belonging to the Wiltshire Archeological Society. It occurs at p. 217 where Thurnam is describing the chambers of some of the Gloucestershire Long Barrows. I quote it in full:-

Hempsted Court,

July, 25th, 1870.

My dear Dr. Thurnam,

I am very glad, as it turned out, that you did not come to Minchinhampton, as the result of my investigation was not as satisfactory as I could have wished. I was aware that the tumulus had been opened before, but as the two shoulders were intact I had hoped from the shape that we might have found some chambers similar to those at Rodmarton, and those which were in the tumulus at Avening in the immediate vicinity. In this I was quite disappointed. I opened a considerable trench on both sides without any result. The barrow is constructed for the most part like others on the Cotteswold Hills with less art. I opened the altar at the east end where there are two large stones about 9 feet in diameter. From there being only two, I conjecture that the third is that in the adjoining field called the Long Stone (see p. 113); and that an attempt must have been made in former times to carry it away ; but becoming tired with the trouble and expense, the spoilers tilted it up where it stands now. [This absurd conjecture may be entirely disregarded]. The approach to the altar was walled in very neatly after the fashion of that at Rodmarton and elsewhere with many thin tile-stones. Beneath the altar I found one skull complete, except the jaws, of a youth or young woman, many bones of animals, mostly calves, and several pieces of very early pottery, considerable evidences of cremation, but the whole had been disturbed soon after the time of the introduction of tobacco into this country ; for three feet below the surface we found the bowl of one of those very small tobacco pipes then in vogue. No metal of any sort, no flints ; the pottery was very imperfectly burnt, and yet on some of it there was an appearance of glaze, and some few bits were slightly figured. The pottery was very thick. I shall place the skull, together with the Rodmarton Britons, in my case ready for your inspection when you come this way,

I remain, my dear Sir,

Yours very truly,

Proc, v., 1872, p, 379. (Quoted above, second and third paragraphs.)

Gloucestershire, 42 S.W. Parish of Bisley-with-Lypiatt. 28*.

Latitude 51° 45' 12". Longitude 2° 07' 09". Height above O.D. 679 feet.

"The barrow has been removed, or nearly so, leaving some of the stones which formed the chambers, especially a large one locally known as 'The Giant's Stone.'"

isited December 6th, 1920. The remains of this barrow lie in the S.W. corner of a triangular piece of rough pasture, covered all over with the remains of old quarryings. It is on the north side of the road, immediately opposite Battlescombe Farm. The remains consist of two vertical moss grown slabs, about 6 inches apart, placed parallel to each other, the tops about 2 feet above the ground. The long axes are due east and west. There are slight indications of the presence of a mound. Quarrying is now in progress only 20 yards to the N.E. and is advancing in the direction of the stones. There is little left to preserve except the stones, but they are worth preservation.

The "many hundred suspicious-looking depressions adjoining the barrow" mentioned by Witts, are merely old quarry pits.

The field on the N.W. is called "Giant's Ground" on the Tithe Map of Bisley (1873). This fact confirms the identification of the stones described by Witts.

W, 15. (Quoted above).

(often described as "The Uley Barrow.")

Gloucestershire, 49 S.W. Parish of Uley. 31 *.

Latitude 51° 41' 53". Longitude 2° 18' 16". Height above O.D. 826 feet.

This Long Barrow was dug into in 1821 by Dr. Fry, and again by Dr. Thurnam and Professor E. A. Freeman in 1854. A full account of it is given in Crania Britannica as follows:- The tumulus is about 120 feet in length, 85 feet in greatest breadth, and 10 feet in height, being both higher and broader at the east end than elsewhere. At this end and about 25 feet within the limits of the cairn, is the entrance to a chamber, formed by a large flat stone upwards of 8 feet in length and 4½ feet in depth, which rests on an upright stone on each side, so as to leave an opening of nearly 3 feet in height which was closed by a large flat stone. From this entrance a central gallery extends to the west, about 22 feet in length, 4½ feet in average width, and 5 feet in height. Two pairs of upright stones project at right angles with the interior of this gallery, in such a way as to divide it in three unequal portions. Communicating with the central gallery, on each side, have been two chambers, each about 4I feet in diameter. Those on the north side no longer exist, being in a ruinous condition when first discovered. The sides of this gallery and chambers are formed of large slabs of a rough unhewn oolitic stone, planted on their edges, and with the space between them filled up with dry walling of small stones, the corn-brash of the district, such as forms the body of the cairn. The roof is now formed of other large slabs of stone, laid across and resting on the uprights. When opened in 1821 the roof of the [western] side chamber was found to consist of a ' hori- zontal arch,' formed by the courses of stone near the top of the walls overhanging each other and gradually contracting the aperture, which was closed in by a single flat stone [capstone] . There is reason to con- jecture that the whole roof, like those of the chambered tumuli at Stoney Littleton [Map] and Nempnett [Fairy Tout] [Map] in Somersetshire [at Gatcombe Lodge, Gloucestershire] and at New Grange and Dowth in Ireland, had been originally of this character ; as there was distinct evidence of the whole having been more or less disturbed at a very early period, and the chambers entered from above. The cairn of stones heaped over the chambers had been neatly finished round its outer border with a dry walling, carried to the height of from 2 to 3 feet, which communicated by an internal sweep, with similar walling extending from the entrance to the chambers. At the west end, these walls are intersected by others at right angles. ... the object of which it is difiicult to understand .... [Similar walling was observed in the chambered cairn at St. Nicholas, Glamorgan, by Mr. John Ward, F.S.A. Arch. Camb., 6. S. XV., 253-320; XVI., 1916, 239-294].

The following extract from an ancient deed, printed in Glouc. Notes & Queries, is a sufficient explanation of the name of the barrow:-

" Indenture dated 20th July, 29 Charles 11 . , 1677, between Henry Pegler of Uley, gent., and Hester his wife (i) and William Heart of Uley, clerk (2). Sale for of one acre of arable land, called the Headland, Uley, in the west field near to the messuage there. . called Wresden, alias The Cold Harbour. . abutting on the hedge westward." I do not know the exact site of the land in question.

W.34.

A.J. XI., 1854, p. 313.

Arch, XLII., 201 (Plan, p. 209)

Cran, Brit, VoL n., 1865. (Plan of barrow 1/360 and chamber 1/60)

Trans. B, and G.A.S. v. 86.

T. Rice Holmes, Ancient Britain, 1907, p. 104, Fig. 16 (plan).

Glouc, N, and Q, Vol. v., 1894, 185.

Gloucestershire, 42 S.E. Parish of Duntisbourne Abbots. 32*.

Latitude 51° 45' 27". Longitude 2° 03' 03". Height above O.D. about 690 feet.

Length 120 feet ; width 90 feet. " The largest stone at the east end has been long known by the name of the ' Hoar Stone it is of the calcareous kind, 12 feet high, 13 feet in circumference and weighs between five and six tons ; it was half above and half underground. Another stone about 9 feet square and one foot thick lay on the ground ; this covered a chamber in which the remains of eight or nine human bodies were discovered. The chamber was divided into two cells about four feet square and six feet deep."

Visited December 13th, 1920. The mound appears almost as broad as it is long, but is evidently the remains of a Long Barrow. The two stones stand, one at the east end, and the other near the middle of the mound. The eastern one is not more than four feet above the surface of the mound (which is low and much spread). Close to it is a smaller stone. The western stone has collapsed and another smaller stone is partly covered by it. This (larger) stone is probably a capstone, the other an upright. Both appear to be in situ. The orientation of the mound is E.S.E.-W.N.W. It lies in a ploughed field and has been under plough until quite recently, but not last season, as the remains of a clover crop stop short all round the edge.

F. 18. (Quoted above).

Arch, XVI., 362. Report (of fourteen lines only) communicated to the Society of Antiquaries by the Rev. Anthony Preston, Rector of Edgeworth. Two Plates give views of the barrow and chambers before and after excavation.

Gent. Mag., LXXVI., 1806. Plates 55 and 56, 871.

The site was revisited on October 25th, 1922. The length of the barrow by tape was found to be 279 feet. Dry walling, with an outer facing in each instance, was observed in two places, the width between the walling (measured at right angles to the axis of the barrow) being 27 feet at a point 55 feet N.W. of the upright stone. It is possible that these remains are those of the inner of the " double wall of masonry, each having a face outwards " mentioned above. The stone itself has had pieces knocked off it quite recently - since my first visit, I believe. A shepherd, whom I spoke to in an adjacent field, told me that the owner was much annoyed at this having been done. I asked him about the underground dwelling, but he could tell me little except that a tunnel was supposed to start in the copse (Fox Covert) in which the barrow stands. On the N.E. side of this copse are old diggings. Whether the "round hut built underground " was found during the work at these old diggings, or whether it originated from the story of the tunnel, I cannot say. But it is more likely that the discovery of a hut built underground gave rise to the tunnel story than vice versa. A similar tale is told of the Lodge Park Barrow. The discovery of an underground hut connected with a Long Barrow would be an event of the greatest importance. It is prob- able that Witts derived his information about the underground hut from Dr. Bird (unless both copied from Lysons). Dr. Bird's views were liable to rest upon imperfect or second-hand observation, and his statement must be accepted with caution. I give his account for what it may be worth. Speaking of the builders of Long Barrows, he says:- " Great skill is also shown in the construction of their dwellings. A circle about twelve feet in diameter, is sunk in the ground, three feet or so deep ; the bottom is covered with flat stones, and a wall, except at the entrance, is raised about two feet high, around the circle, and covered with flat stones to form a seat ; from the outside of the seat, dry walling, except at the entrance, is carried up four feet or more, with all the stones sloping outwards, square recesses for cupboards are formed ; the stones are then gradually drawn inwards, to meet at the top, and receive a large stone, and form a beehive-shaped cot. The entrance is formed of three large stones, one on each side, and the other resting upon them to receive the walling ; and lastly the whole is covered with earth. When the Long Barrow at Bibury [the one I have called Lam- borough Bank] was examined, there was a cot of such a character not far from the barrow. These cots are called ' Shepherds' Cots.' " How far is the Doctor describing what he has actually seen, and how far is he reconstructing the house of the living from that of the dead ? Lysons was the first to describe the barrow, and he may have been the common source from which Bird and Witts copied. Lysons' actual description of the hut is as follows:- " In the immediate vicinity of the tumulus there exists a round hut underground, formed of dry walling similar to that employed in the construction of this tumulus. There were formerly more of them close at hand. They are called in the vernacular Shepherds' huts." He compares them with the Scottish Picts'-houses, saying, " the same little recesses and seats are found in both."

On page 318 Lysons gives a minute plan of the barrow and of a chamber at the north end formed of four upright slabs on each side and closed by another at each end. It seems to have had the same orientation as the barrow itself and contained the skeleton referred to above.

W. I. (quoted above).

S. Lysons, Our British Ancestors, 1865, pp. 318-20 (figs, and small plan).

Stevens, Flint Chips, p. 494.

Anthropological Review, Vol. III., 1863, p. LXXI (referred to only by Dr. Bird).

Trans. B. and G.A.S., Vol. v., 1880-81, 30. (Dr. Bird).

XLii., 219, Figs. 13 and 14.

Gloucestershire, 50 S.W. Parish of Minchinhampton. 38*.

Latitude 51° 41' 51". Longitude 2° 10' 07'. Height above O.D. 600 feet.

The Long Stone is a slab of oolite (locally known as "holey" stone) about 18 inches thick and 7 ft. 9 in. high, set on edge, the axis being approximately N.W.-S.E. It is perforated by two large and many small holes, all probably caused by weathering. The N.W. face of the stone is much more pitted and weathered than the other. There are a few slight irregularities in the surface of the ground around it, but nothing that could be called a barrow. Nevertheless I think that this stone is undoubtedly the last surviving fragment of the chamber of a Long Barrow. Rudge and Rudder (quoted by Thurnam) both support this view. Rudder says that the Long Stone, like the Tingle Stone, stood on the top of a tumulus or barrow. When Thurnam visited the spot in i860, the barrow was scarcely visible, and the second " short stone" was found built into a stone wall which ran over the site of the mound, where it answered the purpose of a stile. Playne says that " superstitious mothers were in the habit of passing ricketty children through a hole in this [bigger] stone with the idea that they would by such means become strong." The smaller stone (height, 3 feet 2 inches; width, 4 feet 5 inches; thickness, i foot) stands in a wall 34 feet away, and a third is said to have been removed during the last century. Mr. A. D. Passmore, of Swindon, was told on the spot that "when it heard the clock strike twelve the stone ran round the field." I am also indebted to Mr. Passmore for the information that the largest of the holes is twelve inches long by five wide.

Rudder's Gloucestershire, 1779, p. 244.

Thos. Rudge, History of Gloucestershire (1802) vol 1. 332.

Arch. XLII., 243. (Thurnam).

Proc. C.N.F.C., V. 1872. 280. (Plate 2, reproduced here, is a photograph of the stone from the N.W.)

Wood-Martin, Journal of the Royal Historical and Archceological Assoc, of Ireland. 4 S. (April, 1887) (Reference only to superstition).

County Folklore, No. i. Gloucestershire ; by E. S. Hartland (Folklore Society, 1892. p. 39). Reference only.

A. T. Playne, Minchinhampton and Avening, 1915, p. 4.

generally described as "The Avening Barrow.")

Gloucestershire, 58 N.W. Parish of Avening. 11*.

Latitude 51° 41' 03". Longitude 2° 09' 36". Height above O.D. about 520 feet.

This Long Barrow, illustrated by Thurnam in his classic paper and described in many text books, had been completely lost sight of and its present position was unknown. The mound is still recognisable as such, though both of its ends are under plough. The centre of the barrow is not however, cultivated, though being gradually encroached on, and is overgrown with long grass and brambles. Three pines stand on the highest point. The orientation is N.W.-S.E. It was excavated in 1806 by the Rev. W. H. Thornbury, Rector of Avening, when " three stone chambers were taken out and removed to a grove in the rectory garden where they are carefully preserved." In Arch, xvi is an account by Mr. Thornbury communicated to the Society of Antiquaries, November 20th, 1806. From this there appear to have been "two small chambers in one of which were found eight, and in the other three, skeletons." Plate 57 gives a view of the barrow from the S.W. before and after excavation ; two chambers only are shown, and they are still preserved in the garden of the rec- tory, on a steep bank below the road from the old rectory to Woodhouse Farm (Sheet 57 N.E.) They are in no danger of destruction and are being carefully looked after by the present rector, the Rev. O. E. Hayden, who has given much assistance in rediscovering the site of the barrow. The length of the barrow is said to be 165 feet, greatest width 60 feet, and greatest height (at E. end), 6 feet.

Visited November 30th, 1920.

Thurnam puts the Avening barrow in his " Type ii," those with chambers along the sides opening externally ; and from his woodcut (reproduced above), it is seen that two of the uprights closing the entrance to the chamber were hollowed out so as to form a kind of port-hole to allow of entrance after the chamber was made and thus partially closed.

The name " Norn's Tump " was re-discovered locally by the Rev. R. Jowett Burton, of Chalford, to whom I am indebted for the information.

W. 2.

Arch. XVI., 362, Plate 57 ; XLii, 216, Fig. ii (reproduced also in Arch. Celt, et Gauloise, by A. Bertrand, 2nd ed., 1889, Fig. 36).

Fosbroke, Encyclop. Antiq., 1843, pp. 544, 547 (etching by T. Burden).

Gloucestershire, 28 S.W. Parish of Notgrove. 41*.

Latitude 51° 53' 20". Longitude t° 51' 40". Height above O.D. about 800 feet.

The following account is given by Witts, who excavated it:- " I examined it in April, 1881, previous to a visit of the Cotteswold Field Club. I found the barrow was 140 feet long, and that its greatest width was 78 feet. The entire crown of the tumulus had at some time been removed, exposing to view twenty large stones ; these formed a series of chambers of the double-cruciform type, similar to those at Uley and Nympsfield. . The passage is five feet wide towards the south-east end, and four feet three inches wide towards the north-west, its entire length being twenty-seven feet. The first chamber on the west (A) measures eight feet four inches by six feet ; the second (B) measures six feet four inches by six feet ; chamber No. 3, (C on the plan) somewhat different in shape, measured six feet across in each direction; and chamber No. 4 (D on the plan) nine feet six inches by seven feet. The largest stone (i) stands five feet above the original surface of the ground, being three feet long and sixteen inches wide. Chamber No. 4 (D) had never been disturbed, though the other three had been cleared of their contents in past ages. Under a large flat stone I discovered portions of two human skeletons, lying in a contracted position ; the skulls which were lying towards the west, were broken into very small pieces. With these human remains were found two teeth and the pelvis of some kind of ox (probably bos longifrons), a dog's tooth, a very perfect leaf-shaped arrowhead of flint, a black oval bead or amulet, one and a half inches long, composed of Kimmeridge shale, having a hole pierced through the centre by a flint borer (this bead, though larger, resembles the one found in the Eyford Long Barrow, described in British Barrows, p. 519 [Fig. 162]); lastly, thirty pieces of rough British pottery, half baked and belonging to the same vessel, one piece only showing the form of the rim. The spaces between the upright stones in chamber No. 4 were filled up with well built dry walls of Stonesfield late; the bottom of the chamber was paved with small flat stones well fitted together and forming a level surface." A bead similar to that found here, but larger, was found in a barrow of Maiden's Grave Farm, Barton Fleming, Bridlington, Yorks., (E.R.) and was given to the British Museum by Canon Greenwell and Mr. Boynton in 1902.

Gloucestershire, 49 S.W. Parish of Frocester. 42*.

Latitude 51° 42' 35". Longitude 2° 17' 54". Height above O.D. about 750 feet.

The following account is given by Professor James Buckman in the Proceedings of the Cotteswold Naturalists' Field Club (Vol. ill., 1865, pp. 184-8):- ^After describing its position on Crawley Hill about half a mile north of Hetty Pegler's Tump, which it closely resembles in plan, he proceeds: " The tumulus in both is of an ovoid form, and in each the broad end, where the chamber was situated, is to the east, and the small one to the west. . On exposing the chambers in the Nympsfield tumulus, it was at once seen that the upright stones marked more or less perfectly a central passage with one or perhaps a double set of cruciform or lateral chambers on either side; in the first of which, on the north side, was partitioned off a smaller chamber or cist, probably to receive some infantile re- mains, as such were found therein. In certain parts, the spaces between the up- rights and the walls of the entrance were made up of dry walling, as shown on the plan." No traces of capstones were found. The stones used were the " lower freestones of the Great Oolite, which, in all probability were quarried for the pur- pose at a distance of about half-a-mile to the N.E. of the Nympsfield tumulus, at a place called Stone Hill. It would appear, that when the chambers were completed, and the bodies placed in them, a stone roof was placed over the whole, and then that the loose stones, earth, etc., were piled upon and over the whole, so as to form the tumulus ; this method necessitating the con- struction of a slight fosse, which is observable surrounding the tumulus, especially in that of Uley. In the Nympsfield one this fosse is not so observable, probably from the field having been for so long under the plough. Here, too, there was a deep depression in the top of the mound, most likely left after the former opening. The contents of the Nymps- field chambers comprise (i) human bones, a few of which had been burnt ; (z) bones of inferior or domestic animals ; (3) a small fragment or two of pottery ; (4) a few flakes of flint.

" Nos. 3, 4, and 5. Frontal bones ; all apparently of male skulls. They are characterised by their generally low, narrow and receding form ; as is likewise the frontal bone in the calvarium No. 2. This form prevails especially in skulls from the chambered Long Barrows of Wilts., Gloucester and Somerset. (See the description of the skull from Uley \vl Crania Britannica, Plate 5).

"No. 6. Frontal and facial bones and lower jaws (all imperfect) of a female, probably of less than thirty years. The form is in no respect peculiar, except that the lower jaw is square and angular. The teeth are considerably eroded.

" No. 7. Fragments of the frontal and facial bones of a male of about forty years.

" No. 8. Upper maxillaries of, perhaps, a female, of about sixty years.

"No. 9. Left upper maxillary of a male of about forty years.

" No. 10. Left upper maxillary of a young adult, with two molar teeth, showing incipient attrition on the inner edges.

" No. II. Part of inferior maxillary of an infant, with two deciduous teeth in place.

" No. 12. Fragment of lower jaw of an aged female, completely edentulous.

The fragments of two lower jaws of males, marked A and B, show in a high degree the broad and angular form of the ascending ramus which is so marked a feature in the adult male British cranium.

" There are several fragments of burnt human bones, the largest being part of the occiput of a child. They are very imperfectly burned, many of them merely charred, and are very different from the cinders of bone found when unambiguous cremation has been practised. Devizes, September, 1862."

Visited December ist, 1920. The barrow can never have been appreciably larger than it is now, as the western edge stands at the ex- treme edge of the escarpment, which is almost precipitous here. No signs of a ditch were observed either here or at Uley. Ploughing is in progress over part of the mound, up to the edge of a small circle on the 6 in. map, indicating a wooden fence which formerly enclosed the area of the chambers. This fence is now represented only by the fragments of four rotten posts. The stones themselves are becoming overgrown with brambles and moss and are in a precarious condition. The whole monu- ment needs protection and immediate attention. It is still well preserved and worth making permanently secure.

Mr. A. E. W. Paine, of Cheltenham, has in his collection from this barrow two anchylosed human vertebrae, four teeth of Bos primigenius, and one tooth of a horse.

W. 25.

Journal of the Anthropological Society, Vol. III., 1865, pp. LXVI., LXVIII.

Proc. C.N.F.C., III., 184-190. (Paper read in 1863, with an account of the excavations and plan).

Trans. B. and G.A.S., v. 95.

Gent's Mag., 1862, Part II., p. 529.

Plan given also on the margin of Witts' Map.

Gloucestershire, 43 N.E. Parish of Chedworth. 43*.

Latitude 51° 47' 37". Longitude 1° 56' 04". Height above O.D. about 690 feet.

The following is an account of the excavation of this barrow by Akerman (age 49) in 1856 given in Proc. Soc. Ant., iv, 1859, pp. 16 and 17:-

"My attention having been directed to a barrow of this description [i.e., long], situated in a field near the farmstead of Pinkwell, a little to the west of the village of Chedworth, in Gloucestershire, I applied to the Reverend A. Gibson, the trustee for the land on which it stands, and Mr. Townsend, the occupier, for permission to explore it, which was very promptly and kindly granted.

" This tumulus has always been known as ' Long Barrow,' and the field in which it is situated as ' Long Barrow Field,' but this designation was probably given to it at a comparatively recent period, when the Chedworth district of the extensive Cotswold range was first enclosed. I learned that the southern end of the barrow had been disturbed about twenty years since for the purpose of obtaining stone, when three human skeletons were found lying side by side, but unaccompanied by relics of any description. The teeth were remarkably perfect. This rather invited than discouraged further investigation, for although the centre of the mound appeared to have been disturbed on its surface, I was led to believe that this was attributable to the labourers in search of stone, and that it had never been ransacked by the antiquary or the treasure-seeker.

"We commenced excavations on the eastern side of the south end of the mound, which appeared to be intact, and on reaching the interior it became evident that the floor of the barrow had been excavated to a depth of two feet below the natural surface of the soil. The sides were built up with the smaller stones of the district, in the manner of a ' dry wall,' but nearer the centre the stones were of larger size, and all were placed with great apparent care, plainly showing that this end of the barrow had not been disturbed since its first formation.

" After a careful search for some hours, and the removal of a vast number of stones, we were satisfied that there had been no deposit of any kind in this portion of the barrow, and we proceeded to remove the stones at the opposite end, where the skeletons already mentioned had been found. As the work proceeded it became obvious that the stones here were not placed with care ; in fact that they had been thrown to- gether without order or arrangement, and that this barrow had been assailed at some distant period. Nothing but the hope that the mound had been imperfectly explored would have tempted further search, and this at length ended in the finding of the metal tag of a lace and a minute fragment of pottery. By the dark brown glaze upon the latter, it is probably not earlier than the end of the sixteenth or beginning of the seven- teenth century, and to this period I would refer the first assault of the barrow at Pinkwell."

Gloucestershire, 22 S.W. Parish of Upper Swell. 44*.

Latitude 51° 56' 12". Longitude 1° 45' 59". Height above O.D. about 650 feet.

The barrow is situated at the east end of Pole's Planta- tion, about 650 yards S.W. of Upper Swell Church. It is thinly planted with beeches, the rest of the wood consisting mainly of firs. The remains of a modern wall surround it on four sides. In the highest part is a large crater-like depression, on the western side of which are the remains of dry walling.

The following is Witts' summary of the excavations made in it by Canon Greenwell:-

" The extreme length was 120 feet and extreme width 40 feet ; its direction was N.N.E. and S.S.W., its horned end being at the N.N.E. end ; its greatest height was 5 feet. It was surrounded by a wall which measured 4 feet in height at the north end. The principal interment was in a trench about 28 feet long, 6 feet 4 inches wide and 2 feet deep, and this was sunk below the original surface of the ground, similar to the trench described under the West Tump [W. 35; No. 52 in this book]. In this trench-chamber were found nineteen skeletons, also bones of the roe deer, red deer, ox, wild boar, goat, pig, etc., bone implements, one vessel of coarse pottery, and a considerable number of worked flints. Three Saxon skeletons were found near the surface of the barrow."

Visited November 18th, 1920, and again October i8th, 1922.

W. 31.

J.A.I. V. 120.

Brit. Bars., p. 524. (Greenwell's No. 232. Plan made by Sir Henry Dryden, but not reproduced by G.)

Gloucestershire, 51 S.W. Parish of Cirencester. 46 *.

Latitude 51° 42' 44". Longitude 1° 58' 19". Height above O.D. about 400 feet.

Situated in a field called " The Querns"¹ N.E. of the " Bull-ring" and S.W. of the station. About 180 feet long. Opened " about 30 years ago by Messrs. Newmarch and Buckman, and mentioned by them in their Remains of Roman Art in Cirencester . . Several skeletons were found arranged E. and W., but it seems they were in a very frag- mentary state, none of them being in a condition to be capable of measure- ment. The explorations consisted simply of two transverse cuts through the mound."

Visited December 24th, 1920. The steepest slope is on the N. side of the barrow, which is widest at the east end and highest now zt the west end. There are no signs of any excavations, which must have been filled in, a most unusual procedure in those days.

W. 8.

Buckman, Corinium, p. 12.

Note 1. In the year 1292 the name of this piece of ground was spelt CRONDLES or CRONNES (Trans. B. and G.A.S. IX. 1884-5, P. 321). The first spelling clearly goes back to O.E. Crundel. The second part of the word means a pit or quarry, and is still used in Hampshire to describe old chalk-pits ('dells'). The first part seems connected with 'crown/ May the whole word have meant originally a quarry from which quern-stones were got? This meaning would of course be inapplicable to a chalk district, but the original meaning might have become lost there. The change from cron to quern undoubtedly took place at Cirencester, whether my suggested explanation is correct or not. I do not know whether the oolite here was used for, or suitable for, grinding-stones, or whether there is any record of their manufacture here. The shape of the Romano- British circular quern is strongly suggestive of a crown.

Gloucestershire, 41 S.W. Parish of Rand wick. 47*.

Latitude 51° 45' 34*'. Longitude 2° 15' 16". Height above O.D. 700 feet.

This barrow was excavated by Witts himself, and the following is his account:- This barrow is situated on the top of Randwick Hill, within the entrenchments of an ancient camp. The direction of the mound is E.N.E. andW.S.W.,the highest portion being towards the E.N.E. The west end has been destroyed by quarrying operations, leaving the present mound only 113 feet in length. The original barrow (comparing it with others in the neighbourhood) was probably 185 [feet] in length. The two external walls were exposed to view in the quarry at the west end. In July 1883, Mr. Witchell and myself directed the labourers to excavate along the outside of the southern wall, com- mencing at the exposed point in the quarry. After driving a trench about 8 feet, we came upon several skeletons laid close to the external wall ; these skeletons, though in rather a composed mass [sic], had evidently been buried in the usual sitting posture-this was proved by the skulls and knee-pans [patellae] being found together, and the heel bones and heads of the femurs. An examination of the bones found at this point showed that there were nine femurs and only portions of four With the human bones were a few skulls of the lower creatures, including a peculiar The southern wall proved to be jaw. . very much perished, and it was only occasionally that its line could be traced. The northern wall was traced for some distance from the western quarry, and, as far as the examination continued, the wall was intact. On a [later] day Mr. Witchell exposed to view the central line of the barrow ; this consisted of a roughly built wall, in some places 10 to 12 feet in height. For the first 30 feet from the west end this wall faced towards the north ; it then came to a transverse wall ; for the next 40 feet it faced the south ; there were also four transverse walls, two of which seemed to form an enormous buttress about 15 feet wide. I quite agree with the late Professor Rolleston, who, in describing similar walls in one of the Swell barrows, attributes them solely to the neolithic labourer who constructed the barrow, built up for his own convenience, and that they are very misleading to modern archasologists, having no connection whatever with the chambers. But from the excellent manner in which the walls at Randwick have been exposed, they prove very valuable in showing the interior construction of a Long Barrow, and I feel sure there is no other example in the county so well calculated to throw light on this point. On August 9th we directed the men to excavate at the south-east end, to try and find the ex- ternal wall at that point ; but it may surprise those who have not per- sonally conducted the exploration of a Long Barrow to hear that we excavated a trench three feet wide right through the wall without seeing it ! I have seen this done so often, though under the keen eye of Professor Rolleston, that it was no surprise to me. After vainly endeavouring to find this wall for several hours. . we attacked the central portion of the E.N.E. end, and were soon rewarded. After excavating to a depth of three feet we noticed the top of a large stone ; coming to the conclusion that this was the main entrance, we continued at this spot in [«V] August loth. Following the line of the large stone (placed on end) discovered the previous night, we soon found that we were excavating in the interior of the principal chamber, placed exactly in the centre of the east end of the barrow (E.N.E.), that, in fact, we were inside the boundary wall, which we had hitherto failed to discover at this point. The chamber consisted of five upright stones (as the plan will show):-

"Having completed our examination of the chamber, and being of course, convinced that we were inside the sur- rounding walls, we next commenced a vigorous attack to bring them to light, nor were we unsuccessful. At a point 20 feet south of the main chamber we found the wall very irregular and difficult to recognise .... but, tracing out the line of our supposed wall on its proper curve to the main chamber, we were at once rewarded by finding it intact, leading in a gentle curve right up to the entrance stones. Alas! we had already passed through this wall in two places without seeing it, but moving a few stones in the exact line which our friend, 20 feet south, pointed to us, revealed the wall in good preservation.

"Reverting to the skeletons we found near the exterior wall at the S.W. corner, some have supposed that they were subsequent interments of a much later date, but, looking to the decided dolicohcephalic character of the skulls, and the sitting posture in which the skeletons were placed, I am inclined to agree with Professor Rolleston and Canon Greenwell that it was the custom to bury slaves and retainers as near as possible to. . their chiefs, and if they were unable to get leave to place them in the barrow, they placed them as near as possible to the external wall, just as we found them. No less than twelve skeletons were found by me in this position at the West Tump Barrow (Cranham). Five flint flakes (rather large ones) with several pieces of old British pottery, were found in the centre line of the barrow, about 12 feet from the western quarry, on the original surface of the ground, and with them many burnt stones. I should mention that many of the bones in the chamber were much burnt, some of them being quite black, and many stones showed signs of fire, though many were unburnt. No signs of the stain of manganese were found ....

"By direction of the owner, Mrs. Barrow (an odd coincidence) the walls and chambers have been covered up to protect them from damage."

(often described as the "Gatcombe Barrow")

Gloucestershire, 50 S.W. Parish of Avening. 49*.

Latitude 51° 41' 21". Longitude 2° 10' 12". Height above O.D. about 520 feet.

Length, 130 feet ; width, 70 feet ; height 6 feet ; highest at N. end. "On the broadest portion of the mound stands a large stone 6 feet in height, which bears the name of the "Tingle Stone" (quoting from Proc. C.N.F.C,, v., 280).

Visited November 30th, 1920. The Tingle Stone itself is a slab of oolite very like the Long Stone. It stands on the N. end of the barrow, which is oriented N. and S. The North end is the highest and widest. There are a few signs of disturbance on the west or lower side of the barrow, as if the material of the mound had been carried away at some distant date ; otherwise the barrow is unusually well preserved and would probably repay excavation. It stands in a ploughed field and is being gradually encroached upon by annual ploughing and so in danger of eventual destruction. It is planted with about 30 young beeches. It belongs to Colonel Ricardo of Gatcombe Park. (See plate, p. 116.)

Some flints "from Tinglestone," together with a distant photograph (here reproduced) of it are exhibited in the Gloucester Museum.

W. 33.

Proc. C.N.F.C., V. 280. (Referred to only).

Bigland's Gloucestershire, 1791, p. 92.

Stevens, Flint Chips, p. 494.

Gloucestershire, 34 S.W. Parish of Brimpsfield. 52*

Latitude 51° 49' 02". Longitude 2° 07' 43". Height above O.D. 900 feet.

Witts gives thefollowing account of this barrow in his Handbook (pp. 89-93):

"This barrow is to be found in the middle of Buckholt Wood, in the parish of Brimpsfield, about one and a half miles south west of Birdlip. I discovered it accidentally in July, 1880, and in the following autumn [October] thoroughly examined it. The direction of the barrow is south-east and north- west, the well-developed 'horns' being at the south-east end. Its length is 149 feet; greatest width, 76 feet, and greatest height 10 feet 3 inches. A well-built dry wall sur- rounds the whole mound, faced only on the outer side. At the south-east end, between the 'horns,' the walls attain a height of 3 feet 6 inches. The ' horns' are of equal size, and in the centre of the concavity z between them are two upright stones, forming as it were a doorway ; but this proved to be a deception, as there was no passage or chamber at this end. Four skele- tons were found lying outside the circumscribing wall and close to it. The principal chamber was discovered at a distance of 82 feet from the southern ' horn.' Here there was a passage through the wall 2 feet wide. In breaking through the rubble of the opening, we found two pieces of British pottery and a very perfect leaf-shaped arrowhead [illustrated here, actual size, from an original drawing], A passage 3 feet wide and 7 feet long led to the main chamber or trench ; this passage was filled with rubble and bones in a very disorderly or confused state. The chamber was excavated below the original surface of the ground, beginning gradually to decline until it reached a depth of 15 inches. The width of it was 4 feet and length 15 feet 6 inches. We discovered the remains of upwards of 20 skeletons; the last one we found was at the end of the chamber, 24 feet from the outside wall ; here were five flat stones, arranged in the shape of a semi- circle, and on these was deposited in a contracted form, the skeleton of, probably, a young female, with the remains of a baby in close proximity. Professor Rolleston (whose valuable assistance I was privileged to have during the excavation) was of opinion that the barrow was erected in honour of this Cotteswold chieftainess. All the skulls found were of the dolichocephalic type."

Gloucestershire, 49 S.E. Parish of Minchinhampton. 54*.

Latitude 51° 42' 49". Longitude 2° 12' 40". Height above O.D. about 670 feet.

Situated "a little to the north of the Amberley Camp." Much disturbed. Orientation E.S.E.-W.N.W. Probable dimensions 75 feet long by 36 broad. Highest end at east. Known as "Whitefield's Tump," from the tradition that George Whitefield (1714-1770) preached here, probably in March, 1743.

Visited November 30th, 1920. It has been much dug over but is quite easy to find. It lies 90 yards S.W. of the milestone (Stroud 3 miles, Cirencester ii miles). Immediately E. of the E. end is what looks like the remains of a much dug over round barrow.

W. 36.

Proc. C.N.F.C., V., 279.

A. T. Playne, Minchinhampton and Avening (John Bellows, Gloucester, 1915), p. 127.

Gloucestershire, 7 S.E. Parish of Willersey. 55*.

Latitude 52° 02' 33". Longitude 1° 49' 42". Height above O.D. about 850 feet.

Witts gives its length as 160 feet, width 66 feet and height at the east end 4 feet 6 inches. It lies within Willersey Camp. The follow- ing remarks, being the only known accounts of its "excavation," are quoted verbatim ; - "Through the kindness and liberality of Mr. Chadwick, the owner of the property, this barrow was in some measure opened ten days ago [written July 25th, 1884]. The outside walls on the north and south sides were clearly traced, and some very large stones were found at the east end. A few bones were discovered under the largest stone. These have been carefully preserved, and the opening, so far as it went, has been left for your inspection." (p. ii). "From the camp a short walk brought the party to the barrow, which with praiseworthy zeal Mr. Witts had on the previous day [July 23rd, 1884], with a willing party of workers, partially excavated. The face of the outer wall of the barrow was exposed for some distance, also the walls of some of the chambers, though displaced probably by previous explorers. Here the bones of the ox were found, and also many fragments of human bones and of pottery, with some flint chips. After an explanation of the form and extent of the barrow, a hearty vote of thanks was given to Mr. Chadwick for his permission to explore the barrow, and to those who had so well done the work. The carriages were resumed. . ." (p. 29).

That is the only record left to posterity by the persons responsible for the affair. The dates are irreconcilable but are given as in the original.

The barrow stands in a ploughed field, and is crossed by a field wall. About 500 feet to the east is a round barrow. Visited Nov. i6th, 1920.

W. 37.

Trans. B. and G.A.S., IX, 1884-5, pp. 11, 29. (Quoted above).

Gloucestershire, 5^ N.E. Parish of Rodmarton.

Latitude 51° 40' 26". Longitude 2° 05' 50"- Heiht above O.D. about 480 feet.

Thurnam's account in Crania Britannica is as follows:- The barrow is placed on the edge of a hill which slopes to the west, where two or three valleys meet. Its present length is about 180 feet ; greatest breadth 70 feet ; the height, near the east end, about 8 feet. During the year 1863 it was explored by the owner, the Rev. S. Lysons, b .b.A. (by whom it is briefly described in the Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries, 2 S. II., 275). About 25 feet from the eastern end, and somewhat more than a foot below the surface, two standing stones were uncovered. The stones were about 5 feet apart, and faced each other north and south. They were sunk about 3 feet below the natural level, having a total height of feet, that on the north side being a few inches higher than the other. In front of these, on the east side, and resting against them, was an oblong flat slab, about 8 feet in length by 4 feet in breadth, preserved in a slanting position by two low walls of flat stones, which slightly diverged from the outer edges of the two uprights, the space between which was filled in to a certain height by a third dry wall [Thurnam's plan. No. 1]. The three stones together occupied the same situation as the triliths which form entrances to the sepulchral chambers at Stoney Littleton [Map] and at Uley [Map]. [Also numerous other Long Barrows, such as those at Camp, West Tump, Belas Knap, Lodge Park, etc]. After noting the traces of fire pbseiwed at the base of the mound in front of these stones, he continues:- "Not only was there a considerable deposit of fine charcoal, but the colour of the stones of which the barrow is formed was in some places changed to a grey and in others to a reddish hue. Beneath or near this trilith there was no trace of human bones ; but numerous bones and teeth of oxen, horses, and tusks of boars were scattered about. Near the centre of the tumulus, a foot or two below the surface, a coin of Claudius Gothicus [A.D. 268-270], a curved nail, and a ferrule about 3 inches long, both of iron - vestiges probably of Roman tomb-breakers- were picked up.

The site was visited on December 4th, 1920. The barrow stands in a ploughed field, but is protected from encroachment by a surrounding wall like that at Cold Aston. It is in a de- plorable state of ruin, having been left open and uncared for after excavation. A great deal could be done to preserve it if prompt measures were taken. The chamber on the south side is more or less intact, but that on the north is in a very bad way. The entrance is completely blocked with fallen stones, the remains of the dry walling doubtless, which has collapsed. Some remains of the dry walling may exist underneath this but it is hardly visible now. The whole barrow is overgrown with small bushes and trees, all of which should be cut down before the damage they cause increases. A pile of human bones from this barrow (no skulls) is stacked at the bottom of a case in the Cheltenham College Museum. They are said to have been found (or presented ?) in 1864.

W. 27.

Arch., IX., 367 ; XLII., 200, 217, Fig. 12 (reproduced also in Arch. Celt, et Gauloise, by A. Bertrand, 2nd ed., 1889, Fig. 37): arrowheads, Figs. 22 and 23, reproduced above.

Cran. Brit. ,Yol. ii (views and plan of barrow 1/240), account by Thurnam, quoted above.

Proc. Soc. Ant., 2 S. II., 275 (Lysons) ; III, 168.

S. Lysons's Our British Ancestors (1865), pp. 137, 150.

Reliq. Brit. Rom., II., 8., III., 7.

Journ. Anthr. Soc., III., 1865, pp. LXVI., LXVIII; (quoting Lysons).

Mem. Anthr. SocNoX. i. (1863-4) p. 153.

Gloucestershire, 35 S.E. Parish of Chedworth. 58*.

Latitude 51° 48' 31". Longitude 1° 54' 10"- Height above O.D. about 640 feet.

Not mentioned by Witts.

Visited December 22nd, 1920. It lies in a ploughed field called Woodbarrow. I was told by the two ploughboys at work in the field that this was its name ; and that the field immediately opposite on the N. side of the road was called "Royal Oak" ("because there is an oak on the edge of the wood which comes out a fortnight before the other," added Frederick Norman, who confirmed these names to me) barrow is about 210 feet long and is oriented N. and S. Its present height is not more than 2 to 3 feet. (A subsequent examination of Isaac Taylor's Map of Gloucestershire, 1777, reveals the fact that it was known as "Wood Barrow" then, and was sufficiently high and conspicuous to be shown as a hachured mound).

In Gough's Camden is the following account:- "On the hill, a little above the bath (a Roman hypocaust in Listercombe), is a large tumulus which had a huge rough stone set upright; which being lately removed, exposed great quantities of human bones lying near the top of the barrow."

Gough's Camden, Vol. i., 1789, p. 281.

Rudder, p. 334.