Nympsfield Long Barrow View all content for Nympsfield

Nympsfield Long Barrow - 27.12.2003 You might be shocked to here that I had a little trouble at finding this - the most easy to find place! The weather was poor and the car park part of the picnic area seems to have moved compared to the OS map I had (1:25,000 - it has the new Severn Bridge on it so can't be that old!). This map suggests that the barrow is to the left (south) of any car park. Which, as Moth says, it isn't. The barrow is slightly to the right of the entrance to the picnic area, and the car parking is on the left at around SO794013. Before anyone thinks I'm mad to not find this immediately I have to also point out in my defence that Colin and Janet Bord's book 'A Guide to Ancient Sites in Britain' (which admittedly does date from the late 1970's) describes the barrow as at "the southern end of the picnic area". So I initially looked at the south end, and found some lovely views, but not the barrow. Don't miss the stunning views across Gloucestershire, the Severn and Wales. Just walk down to the south (i.e. to the left as you drive in) and the view is everywhere. There is a new panoramic plate on Frocester Hill (on National Trust land) just at the end of the picnic area. Nympsfield is an interesting example of an open longbarrow and this is approx what Notgrove looked like until it was backfilled. It's interesting that Colin and Janet Bord's book strongly disapproved of Notgrove when it was open, but made no adverse comment on Nympsfield.

Posted by pure joy 3rd January 2004ce

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