In the grounds of an early 17th century hunting lodge now owned by the National Trust. There is public access to the barrow field though today there was a large herd of young frisky pedigree cattle also in the field. They didn't notice us until we were making our way back (a little too frisky for my taste).
This long barrow is now protected by an electric fence - I imagine to keep cattle, rather than people, off. Easy enough to step over if you want to. The barrow looked in good condition and no signs of the past damage recently reported by Evergreen Dazed. Three of the stones from the chamber still remain (reminded me of a small wedge tomb).
Visited 26.3.11
Very easy site to access.
Park in the car park for Lodge Park (N.T. House) and go through the metal kissing gate into the field on the right. Walk straight ahead, keeping the trees to your left, and you will soon spot the remains of the Barrow. The field was full of sheep when I visited. I suspect this Barrow would have been quite prominent in the landscape when first built.
There is also a nice little woodland walk you can take through the trees direct from the car park.
The Barrow is clearly visible from the top end of the woods.
In the middle of the trees is what appears to be a square(ish) enclosure of some sort?
Traditions of an underground passage at the site were noted by Grinsell and O'Neill in their 'Gloucestershire Barrows' edition of the Trans Brist Glouc Arch Soc for 1960.
Ah, imagine being the wealthy 17th century owners of Lodge Park. Not only have you got an up-to-the-minutely stylish house, you've got huge amounts of land and a genuine long barrow on them. Who needs a folly?
The site has been pretty protected certainly since then, as it's just been under pasture. On the 1st edition Ordnance Survey map of 1882, it was described by Witts in 1883; we can see from his description that the monument's condition hasn't deteriorated since then. It probably has never been excavated.
The stones at the end of the mound are probably the remains of a cotswold-stylee false entrance. OGS Crawford certainly liked it: "This is the finest long barrow I have ever seen; it is certainly the most perfect specimen in Gloucestershire, and should be left exactly as it is and never excavated, in order that posterity may be able to see at least one unmutilated long barrow," he wrote in his 1925 'The Long Barrows of the Cotswolds'.
quote taken from Celia Haddon's website , and excavation details from the smr.
Log in |
Register
England
Show map (inline Google Map)
Add an image 
Posted by tjj
Posted by Rhiannon
Top of page