Visited 17.7.10.
Taking the minor road west out of Northleach you come to a junction where the road joins another road to your left. At this point there is a large parking area on the left – park here. Walk around the road to the left and you will see two metal gates and a wooden stepped stile on your right. Over the stile and follow the lane (radio mast in trees to right) until you see a public footpath sign. The stone is next to the wall on your left hand side – on the bend in the wall. The stone is approximately 2 metres long and about 1 metre high with an unusual 'key hole' type hole in it – quite large. An unusual stone and worth a visit to have a look when in the area. Access is easy although the metal gates were padlocked when I visited.
Visited 5.9.2009 after a quick look at Hampnett barrows. According to "Old Stones of The Cotswolds & Forest of Dean" (D.P. Sullivan 1999 Reardon) there are two stones, one of them built into the wall as a stile in a way that is quite common in the area. This proved to be the case, but I would have thought it's the "holed" stone that carries the name Hangman's Stone, rather than the slab.
The dry stone wall has been rebuilt since the earlier pictures posted here, so the stone now stands away from it. The "stile" slab is built into the wall.
Whether this was part of a long barrow at some point or something else is not possible to say. Position-wise it fits the usual Cotswold long barrow pattern of not sitting on top of the hill but on the slope. The stone is somewhat buried in undergrowth and right next to a dry stone wall, no sign of any mound is visible. A curiousity, but not one carrying much atmosphere when I visited.
This is near Northleach off the old A40.It is easy to park and access is over the 5 barred gate or a rather difficult stile.Walk along the lane to the end of the lefthand hedge/fence to where the lane gets wider.Just round the corner is the stone sort of lying against the wall.There is a radio mast nearby.It has a hole and is split at the other end.
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