Nympsfield Long Barrow

The Nympsfield Long Barrow is a Neolithic burial site near the village of Nympsfield in Gloucestershire. It stands at the edge of a wood within Coaley Peak Country Park, about six miles southwest of Stroud. The barrow was built around 2800 BC and is one of the earliest examples with separate chambers. It is now a Scheduled Monument managed by English Heritage. Excavations have uncovered human remains, cremated children’s bones, and artefacts from burial ceremonies. The site is worth visiting for its historical significance and archaeological finds. Three excavations in 1862, 1937, and 1974 revealed 23 bodies, including children placed in a separate cist. Many showed signs of infections and abscesses, suggesting they were left exposed before the tomb was sealed. Ritual meals with pig bones and fires were found in the forecourt, while haematite may have been used as face paint. Artefacts like a leaf-shaped arrowhead and Ebbsfleet ware pottery were also discovered. Visitors find a grassy mound with no visible tumulus, set against a limestone scarp. The remains include a square forecourt and a central passage leading to three chambers. Two larger chambers flank the passage, with a smaller one at the end, divided by constricting stones. The long axis runs southeast to northwest. Nearby, a picnic site offers a place to rest, and the surrounding woods provide a quiet setting for reflection.