Wayland’s Smith’s Cave in late 19th century, before the tomb was excavated and reconstructed.
From the information board, looks great doesn’t it.
Image credit: Chris Bickerton
Images
Image credit: Chris Bickerton
Image credit: Chris Bickerton
Image credit: Chris Bickerton
Image credit: Chris Bickerton
Image credit: Chris Bickerton
February 2018
Image credit: texlahoma
From Francis Wise’s ‘Letter to Dr Mead’ (1738).
Image credit: .
From Francis Wise’s ‘A letter to Dr Meads’ (1738).
Image credit: .
Wayland’s Smithy before it was restored in 1960s....
Image credit: A.J. Massingham 1930 Downland England
Sunset 23rd June 2015.
Image credit: Megadread
Winter sunset at Wayland’s Smithy on Saturday 6th December 2014
Image credit: tjj
The sun going down at Wayland’s Smithy – Saturday 6th December 2014. The front stone has had a pagan symbol chalked on it. Annoying!
Image credit: tjj
Image credit: A. Brookes (22.2.2014)
Image credit: A. Brookes (22.2.2014)
Image credit: A. Brookes (22.2.2014)
Image credit: A. Brookes (22.2.2014)
May 2013
Image credit: Michael Mitchell
May 2013
Image credit: Michael Mitchell
May 2013
Image credit: Michael Mitchell
May 2013
Image credit: Michael Mitchell
May 2013
Image credit: Michael Mitchell
Image credit: ruskus
As I entered the cruciform chamber I found an offering, left there by a previous visitor.
14th March 2013.
Image credit: David Cook
14th March 2013.
Image credit: David Cook
14th March 2013.
Image credit: David Cook
Image credit: John Aubrey 1670
Time lapse (180 seconds) picture taken 2012-08-01 about midnight. Red sky is light pollution from Swindon. Trees in the background accentuated with strong LED-torches (950 Lumen, each). This is an example of PLP (portable lightbrush photography.
Image credit: Wayland's Smithy with Big Dipper
August 2010
Image credit: 2010 Rob Lycett
August 2010
Image credit: 2010 Rob Lycett
Image credit: Gingertrailertrash
Image credit: Gingertrailertrash
The impressive facade in autumn sunshine.
Image credit: A. Brookes (8.10.2011)
Inside out.
Image credit: A. Brookes (8.10.2011)
(Presumably) natural cups on one of the side slabs in the entrance passage.
Image credit: A. Brookes (8.10.2011)
Neat (restored) drystone work between the sarsen slabs of the chambers.
Image credit: A. Brookes (8.10.2011)
Inside the western chamber, where abstract chalk art seems to be the order of the day.
Image credit: A. Brookes (8.10.2011)
The magnificent long barrow.
Image credit: A. Brookes (8.10.2011)
Autumn comes to Wayland’s Smithy.
Image credit: A. Brookes (8.10.2011)
Image credit: Gingertrailertrash
Image credit: Gingertrailertrash
Image credit: Gingertrailertrash
Waylands Smithy at noon. I would like to dedicate this picture to my friend and contributor to this site, Wysefool who passed away recently after a short illness. He loved the Rudge and the Smithy in particular.
Image credit: Gingertrailertrash
re earlier posting : yes from northern end the sides do look parallel!
Image credit: lt/ja
An early photograph of Wayland Smith’s Cave. Of note is the lack of beech trees surrounding the monument.
Image credit: Wilsons Almanac
Harold Burnham and Beatrice Blackwood standing in front of Wayland’s Smithy.
Image credit: Pitt Rivers Museum
The helpful information board just by the entrance to the Wayland’s Smithy enclosure.
Image credit: tjj
Wayland’s Smithy in the late afternoon sunshine
Image credit: tjj
Wayland’s Smithy
Image credit: tjj
Wayland’s Smithy
Image credit: tjj
Wayland’s Smithy this afternoon
Image credit: tjj
Wotansvolk camping around the entrance to the barrow. Sorry its from a distance, there were around 30 of them and three of us, and we’re not scary skinheads.
Image credit: listerinepree
The beech trees planted by the Victorians, to turn it into more of a ‘folly’, have themselves become part of the Wayland Smithy experience.
Image credit: Chance - Paddy day 2009
The beech trees planted by the Victorians, to turn it into more of a ‘folly’, have themselves become part of the Wayland Smithy experience.
Image credit: Chance - Paddy day 2009
Looking into the mouth of the cave.
I wonder just how much of this stonework has been re-instated and how much has been placed here by the archaeologists’ imagination. The pictures of the barrow before excavation show an overgrown heap.
Image credit: Chance - Paddy day 2009
‘Shadow Tracks on Wayland Smithy‘
There’s a few more Waylands artworks at suefawthrop.me.uk/
Image credit: Sue Fawthrop
Wayland’s Smithy before restoration
Image credit: Chance
artistic view of the Cromlech, love the trees in the background
Image credit: unknown
The Smithy from the front
Image credit: Laura Potter
Towards the back of the long barrow is this curious stone with a small cup at it’s base newly filled with rainwater.
Image credit: A R Cane
The only complete skeleton found in the earthen long barrow. Mr Smith himself? :-)
Image credit: unknown
An old illustration from an old book, showing the ‘cromlech’ of Wayland’s Smithy with Uffington castle on the horizon in the background and the white streak of chalk road that is the Ridgeway.
Image credit: unknown
Autumn colour of trees from last year – which rather enhance the atmosphere of the barrow.
‘Wayland Smith’s Cave or Cromleck of Lambourn, Berks‘
circa 1848
Image credit: T J Donaldson
Waylands Plan circa 1868
Image credit: A L Lewis
John Aubrey 1670
Image credit: John Aubrey
Plan and section of Wayland’s Smithy
Image credit: Harold Peake
cover of wonderful book by Ursula Synge, entitled ‘Weland: Smith of the Gods’. (as I write this only two available from Amazon.co.uk at 20quid plus – no magic weapons, armour or swans wings included...). Beautiful intrepretation by Charles Keeping – note the hamstrung useless leg(s) and staff to support him.
Image credit: Charles Keeping
Image credit: the person who carved it
Wayland’s Smithy with horses waiting to be shod. (from a book published in 1939)
L V Grinsell’s sketch plan of Waylands Smithy. This was done when it was still a pile of stones known as ‘Wayland Smiths Cave’ (or cromlech). A small sketch of how it was is at the top of the plan, and a small sketch of what it may have looked like, is at the bottom of the plan.
Image credit: L V Grinsell
Waylands Smith Cave (circa late 1940’s)
Image credit: Unknown
Aerial view of Waylands Smithy, some of the stones are just visible at the foot of the trees and shows how dense the surrounding tree cover is even in winter.
Image credit: © 2006 Mark Fearon
Glorious autumn colour, shadows and stones
“In the neighbourhood of Lambourn, in Berkshire, are many barrows, and amongst them is found the cromlech called Wayland Smith.”
(Charles Knight: Old England)
Image credit: Charles Knight
Taken 12th September 2004: Three apples at Wayland’s Smithy.
Image credit: Simon Marshall
Image credit: texlahoma
Image credit: texlahoma
Image credit: texlahoma
It’s quite cosy, but the roof leaks, and there’s chalk graffitti, otherwise It’s a nice gaff.
Image credit: Ian the Hob
Who needs cup marks when you’ve got unpeckable sarsen close at hand?
Image credit: IH
The view from a position hovering about 8ft above.
Note: Levitating at Scheduled Monuments is against EH guidelines, and will be punished by forceable removal of the offender’s monpod.
Image credit: Hobson
Image credit: Ian Hobson
Gratuitous infra-red image. No anomalies.
Image credit: Ian Hobson
Entrance stones visible at far end of mound
Image credit: Tim Clark
Waylands from roughly south – recumbant people at ‘back’ end of mound (top).
Image credit: Tim Clark
Showing the front of Wayland Smithy when it was known as Wayland Smith’s Cave.
Image credit: E A Greening Lambourn (sketch 1908ish)
This is the earliest photograph of Wayland Smithy that I have seen. It was probably taken in 1902 and shows the smithy before reconstruction and before the first serious dig in 1919. It was once called Wayland Smith’s Cave and NOT Waylands Smithy. You can see why from this picture.
Note the trees in the background, these are probably the beech trees planted there by the Victorians to turn it into more of a ‘folly’. Even after the storms in the 1980’s some of the original trees still remain to this day.
Image credit: Wysefool (personal collection) - Original taken in 1902! (author unknown)
Image credit: Graham Orriss
Image credit: Graham Orriss
The island tuft of beech trees protects Wayland’s
Image credit: Jane Tomlinson
Image credit: Jane Tomlinson
Image credit: (c) Rebecca van der Putt
Image credit: (c) Rebecca van der Putt
Image credit: (c) Rebecca van der Putt
Image credit: (c) Rebecca van der Putt
Always a magickal place forever in my heart & soul.
Sitting in the shade of the Wayland’s beech trees after a hot, dusty walk from Uffington Castle, I stopped to admire the sketch I’d made of the Wayland’s site from further up the hill...
Images taken at night at Wayland.The night we went it was by far the eeriest place I’ve been. On the way up to the long barrow we had late evening birds and bats with us, but at the cross roads before it , we crossed over and there was a depressing, abject silence.
We had planned to stay for a while but after a few pictures the batteries on all the cameras went dead. All were fully charged. Even the torches went dead.
By this time we dicided it was not healthy for mind or spirit to stay there any longer.
Image credit: Bob Coburn
Wayland’s Smithy – inside – Circa 1996
Image credit: Martin Bull
Wayland’s Smithy – The rear – Circa 1996
Image credit: Martin Bull
Wayland’s Smithy – The front from behind – Circa 1996
Image credit: Martin Bull
Wayland’s Smithy – The front from the side – Circa 1996
Image credit: Martin Bull
Taken August 1995:Looking south east down the barrow from the ‘tail’ end. I’ve visited Wayland’s Smithy many times, but I’m sad to say that it’s been a while now since I last went there.
Image credit: Simon Marshall
Image credit: Watercolour painting by Jane
Image credit: Painted by Jane Tomlinson
Waylands Smithy, 2001
Wayland’s Smithy left hand chamber looking into the right.
inside the left-hand chamber ... notice the traces of fire
Wayland’s Smithy, Oxfordshire – June 2001
Articles
A visit to the barrow at 19:30 in early September 2009
YouTube - Swords of Wayland
Clip from an episode of Robin of Sherwood (the eighties one, not the one on telly at the mo), entitled ‘Swords of Wayland’. – they don’t make them like they used too!
A friend in the Ramblers sent me this earlier today – am a bit gutted as have been known to use this service to walk up to Wayland’s Smithy.
“Thamesdown Transport’s route 47 between Swindon and Lambourn, via Bishopstone and Ashbury, is to be withdrawn. This will leave several villages without a bus service and make it more difficult to do linear walks along that part of the Ridgeway. At the time of writing it is unclear whether the Ridgeway Explorer bus X47, which runs only on Saturdays, will continue.”
I despair!
Bones found at a prehistoric burial site indicate they belonged to victims of an ancient massacre, say scientists.
Remains of 14 people were discovered at Wayland’s Smithy, near Uffington White Horse, Oxfordshire, in the 1960s.
Latest techniques date the bones at between 3590 BC and 3560 BC, and have led experts to believe the people may have died in a Neolithic Age massacre.
English Heritage carried out the work with the help of Cardiff University and the University of Central Lancashire.
Michael Wysocki of the University of Central Lancashire says the findings suggest the Neolithic Age was more violent than previously thought.
This dating programme demands a revolution in our thinking about prehistory.
Alex Bayliss, English Heritage
The victims – three of them probably killed by arrows – could have died in a rush for land or livestock, he added.
He said: “We know one person was shot through the lower abdomen because we have found the tiny tip of a flint arrowhead embedded in their pelvic bone.
“We also know that the bodies of two people were scavenged and partially dismembered by dogs or wolves before their remains were buried in the monument.
“All this new evidence suggests that the period between 3625 BC and 3590 BC may have been one of increasing social tension and upheaval.”
The research also indicates that the use of Neolithic long barrows was short-lived – and did not take place over hundreds of years as previously thought.
English Heritage radiocarbon dating expert Alex Bayliss said: “With this research, we can now think about the Neolithic period in terms of individuals and communities and make useful and revealing comparisons between their choices and behaviour in the remote past.
“This dating programme demands a revolution in our thinking about prehistory and not just that of early Neolithic burial monuments in southern Britain.”
14th March 2013.
For all my frequent trips to Uffington, Wayland’s Smithy is an oft-missed destination. I’ve always viewed the area like a theme park of the ancient world. No matter how determined, you never really get to go on all the rides.
This time round, the delights of the Ridgeway and Wayland’s Smithy were top on the list and the first thing I made for. The journey along Britain’s oldest road was contemplative and inspiring enough, with the arrival at the Smithy a just reward for such pilgrimage.
My decision to go in the early afternoon on a weekday was well placed. With most folk at work I had the chance to soak in the Smithy’s charm undisturbed. Free from the click of cameras and excitable children jumping up and down on the capstone.
The Smithy is a monument that commands respect. Four stone guardians stand watch over the entrance to the inner sanctum, flanked by a horseshoe of trees. To clamber at will over the monument doesn’t seem right; one has to be invited to cross the threshold and experience the Smithy’s secrets.
Once I’d perceived permission was given, I discovered a new secret as I passed the gateway into the cruciform chamber. An arrangement of wild flowers lay in the middle of the terminal chamber, no doubt an offering from another pilgrim who arrived before me.
It wasn’t the only gift. On closer inspection, I noticed a number of coins inserted in the crevices of the pock-marked sarsen standing left to the entrance. The legend of Wayland sprang to mind, with visitors perhaps asking the smith to shod their wishes in place of the traditional horse. I left a similar offering of my own in a free space, before standing back to regard the Smithy one last time before heading back up the Ridgeway.
In the tranquility of the moment, it was almost as if I heard the Smithy speak. “Don’t leave it so long next time,” it said. And on such a similar well-placed day in the future, I won’t.
I have been to Wayland’s Smithy about half a dozen times since I have lived in the north Wilts area, not really that often considering it is one of my favourite places.
One of the aspects I love about visiting this site is the walk of about half a mile or so along the Ridgeway from the nearest parking area; this gets you in the right frame of mind. Yesterday afternoon, I had spent some time with a friend who is a garden enthusiast – I mention this as an aside because earlier we had visited the Woolstone Mill garden which has one of the best views of Uffington White Horse (seeing the White Horse from their little tree house there was a true delight).
The friend later obliged by driving up to the Ridgeway from village of Ashbury; this is also the best place to head for if you are visiting by public transport: take the 47* (Newbury) bus from Swindon to Ashbury, picking up a downland path by the church which leads up to the Ridgeway (this just in itself is a lovely walk) then about a mile along the Ridgeway towards Uffington.
Yesterday, late afternoon it was still quite hot and we had neither hat nor drink with us (not clever when walking the Ridgeway). We walked briskly along this particularly beautiful section of the Ridgeway, ancient hedgerows on both sides. Walking into the Wayland’s enclosure, with its massive beeches, on a hot summer’s day is like walking into an oasis of shade and cool; thirst disappeared and for once the site was completely deserted. I was able to go inside the two small side chambers which are like West Kennet Long Barrow in miniature – the shafting afternoon sunlight playing on the stones as I examined their surfaces. Like most of the long barrows in the Wiltshire/Cotswold area some reconstruction has obviously taken place to the entrance.
As we walked around the barrow a couple turned up, headed for the end of the long barrow and lay down in the long grass looking up at the sky. Their presence only added to the peaceful ambience, probably my best visit yet.
Note: The small EH information board near the entrance of the enclosure is discreet and helpful.
*Public transport information below:
thamesdown-transport.co.uk/times/047.htm
I parked at the main car park near the Uffington White Horse and walked the Ridgeway to Wayland’s Smithy. (There is a lane where you can park closer to the site if you wish). It was a lovely sunny day and the path was dry and dusty. It is nice to be a ble to say I have walked (a little bit) of the Ridgeway although I wish I had taken the pushchair as Dafydd was starting to get heavy in the heat! This is a fantastic site and I loved it. On a sunny day, sheltered by the trees, this was a very relaxing place to be. Lots of people came and went and I had a nice photo taken sat on one of the entrance stones with Dafydd on my knee. Somthing to show him when he is older! This is a great place to visit and very highly recommended – you won’t be dissapointed.
I usually go here in the autumn, the dappled light through the beech trees on a sunny day in autumn makes it very atmospheric. The stones are old and gnarled and it looks like West Kennet on a smaller scale, though it has a lot of its own charm. Have been there since the neo nazi activity and not seen any noticeable damage. I am going to read Walter Scott’s legend of Kenilworth as he is responsible in large part for the folklore about the phantom blacksmith which has made the site so popular.
I read Clive Spinnage’s myths and mysteries of Wayland’s Smith which is an excellent resource although I still have not been able to find the “snivelling stone” he speaks of which is supposed to be there.
talking about spoiling the ambience, a large group of neo-nazi’s camping there, lighting fires, pissing all over the monument and making us feel very unwelcome. Wotansvolk flags all over the entrance to the tomb....I tried to find the number to contact the ranger but to no avail. A very upsetting experience.
A beautiful Autumn day was spent yesterday at Waylands Smithy. The orange leaves falling all around on a gentle breeze, in this most tranquil spot. People came and went as we sat there and moved around taking our photographs, a popular place for those on foot or bikes and passed every now and then by huge off road vehicals powering down the ridgeway. Sstill this didn’t bother me as I sat inside each of the chambers totally switching myself off from the world outside. This place is an absolute treasure.
Mrs Hob was keen to revisit, having been here just after the big storm of ‘87, when she says some of the trees got toppled.
Plenty trees now though. Whilst this may wreck any chances of checking out inter-visibilty with other stuff, it does make it superbly tranquil and welcomingly cool on a hot summer’s day.
In full agreement with PureJoy’s comments about the 4x4s though. They are knackering the ridgeway, and can temporarily spoil the ambience.
The holey stones on the facade are marvellous examples of domesticated sarsen. This place lives up to the hype.
Wayland’s Smithy Long Barrow – 8.2.2004
Directions – I think what Chris means (see first fieldnotes) is that if you really want to have the shortest possible walk to Wayland’s you could unofficially park where the dead-end road to Knighton Barn (the road is called Knighton Hill) crosses the Ridgeway (circa SU285856). I wouldn’t encourage having the shortest possible walk though, although I guess there might be some good reasons in certain situations (e.g. lack of mobility, terrible weather). Most people walk from the Uffington Castle area, or from the signposted National Trust car park (free). For the latter, walk out of the car park as if you were continuing on the road that just took you to the car park and continue to walk up the road until you get to the Ridgeway, turn right and follow the Ridgeway until you pass a line of beech trees. 400m further you’ll see the entrance on your right into the Wayland’s Smithy enclosure. It’s 2 km in total. Alternatively you can approach from the West by parking just off the road between Ashbury and Ashdown House, where it crosses the Ridgeway (circa SU274843). It’s only just over 1 km from there.
We walked from Uffington Castle, which was pretty pleasant, despite patches of the Ridgeway looking like a mangled forest track (and other bits being bone dry!). The only spoiler of the walk was three annoying 4x4’s playing silly muddy buggers, with an attitude. I don’t have a problem with real off roading (challenging stuff on private land in forests and farm land), but this is like off-roading for the blandly afflicted. Pointless and tedious. Later we heard and saw three motorbikes churning through the mud right outside Wayland’s.
It was about 12 years ago when I first visited this famous Long barrow, and it’s a good sign that it hasn’t changed much. Lots of visitors came and went (quickly), and then suddenly 5 minutes of calm and didn’t see another human being all the way back to the NT car park.
The exquisite Cheryl and I came here today with some serious photography in mind. The light was priceless, and even better, we had the place to ourselves pretty much all the time. As we did the shoot, something was making a strange whirring call in the field at the back of the monument. Sounded like a grouse, but I’m sure there are no grouse up there. Partridge, perhaps?
Anyway, the shoot went brilliantly, and we felt entirely as one with the place. And we saw three hares chasing each other wildly round the adjoining field, which was just brilliant. No boxing, though. . . .
Thank you Goddess.
Ah!.... the great long barrow of Waylands Smithy. Is it the great beech trees which give the barrow so much intimacy? Why does it feel so much like home? I have lost count of the times I have been here for painting, picnics, loving, birdwatching, healing, photography, chillin’, and now grieving and celebrating all at once. Sitting above the chamber on the capstone I look down into the mouth of the barrow and think of the beautiful, newly dead, feline body of Finbarr gracefully lying in her grave in my garden, 18 miles away. God, I loved that cat. But Waylands has eradicated the grief and now I remember with joy all the love we shared.
I was curious to see the phenomenon of the way that although the long barrow is tapered, that if you stand at the very end, the edges of it appear parallel. ‘Accident or design?’ I mused. Gotta be design. Surely? Very clever in any case.
My first visit on a beautiful March day. Found through curiosity a good approach to the site – when coming down the Ridgeway from Uffington castle there are woods either side of the path, once you have crossed the final road before the Wayland’s site – jump over the ditch and go into the woods on your left – there is a great straight avenue of trees to follow and the site can be seen appearing to your right – go back over the ditch through the gate and to the tomb
I checked out the parallell sides “trick” mentioned below – subtle, interesting
I particularly liked the sympathetic arrangement of trees around the tomb especially the four corner trees – if you go to the front and walk backwards the two back-end trees are framed nicely between the two front megaliths.
At the foot of one of the back-corner trees daffodils (I think) were coming up;
the dead are dead, but spring’s begun
the old make way for blooded young
I was here on Sunday the first of September. Whilst I stood on the mound with my wife a man who had obviously been mixing his drinks, or worse, reeled up to us and explained the amazing trick of perspective the barrow forms. Seen from the thin end the sides appear to be parallel. I have not seen this phenomenon noted anywhere else.
I always feel very emotional when I come here. I don’t feel sad nor do I feel happy, but I do feel deeply. It is very peaceful here. Whenever I am in the area I pop along here and just spend a few minutes in quiet contemplation. Then I tend to leave a few pennies as a libation and then move on.
This is indeed a lovely spot. It was one of the stopping points on a brief tour of the area at the Ancient Sacred Landscapes Network conference in summer 2000. Nice to see that even though there were clearly solstice campers coming through the area, the Smithy site was relatively free of trash (not so Avebury or the orchards at Glastonbury, sadly...)
I hope to hike all or part ofthe Rideway track this summer when I visit, and will certainly be spending time in this location; White Horse Hill and environs is my favorite place on earth.
Visited Wayland’s Smithy on my 30th birthday, and must say I didn’t feel quite so old! And what a birthday party with such esteemed company. Mrs Ironman & I enjoyed a bit of birthday cake there and managed to get a whole hour of undisturbed peace. The highlight of an otherwise hectic day spent travelling from Bristol to London and back again!
Wandered up the Ridgeway having been and sat on White Horse Hill in the afternoon sun, end of September ‘97. Nobody else about ‘cept for a lone mountain biker and us two. Wayland’s Smithy was a very welcome goal after such an enjoyable trudge. Trix did his usual archaeological assessment and took lots of photos...I oohed and aahed at the tranquility, the low golden light of early Autumn and was pleased to be here at last. They say that if you pay the Smith with silver he’ll re-shoe your horse. Well, I don’t know about that, but I hid a 5p piece amongst the stones and the next week I got bought a new set of tyres!
I visited the Smithy for the first time this week, running the gauntlet of an angry stoat on the way!
What a stunning site. Warming sunlight filtering through the almost protective wall of trees and the lack of other visitors created a perfect atmosphere.
The long, low tapering mound is beautifully shaped and the row of stones guarding the entrance way are just perfect.
I will be back soon.
I spend a lot of time visiting sites, seeking out the unvisited and unheard of but there is something about Wayland’s Smithy that keeps calling me back. Apart form this year, I have spent every beltain of my adult life at this barrow. It is so homely, beautiful and comforting. It as also worth a visit for the Summer Solstice as there are always other people there and a real sense of festival is in the air all night. One year a horse and cart turned up for the night and it was difficult to find somewhere to put your sleeping bag – that was a great night.
After the unexpected death of a close friend I just had to visit my favourite site. The deep calm that pervades the site is the single balm I know to ease pain. The fact that I saw Julian in Avebury on the same day was the greatest bonus I could have asked for!
Unfortunately the first view of the sacred path to the Smithy almost completely ruined my mood. The rusting burnt-out car that blocks the path felt like a needle being stabbed into my third eye. I’m just grateful it wasn’t any nearer to the site...
Cold it may have been but I managed to get nekkid and run around before saying my proper goodbye’s to a great mate. Naked, facing South over the entrance, I had the rising, almost full, moon balanced on one hand and the setting sun on the other. I don’t think I could have stood any more symbolism at that point.
Goodbye Hugh.
I love this place. Has anyone else noticed how the trees all seem to bend inwards over the barrow?
I was here with two friends a few years back, and one of them, Marcus, had brought two L-shaped bits of coathanger with him and was trying his hand at divining.
He noticed that when he walked parellel to the front of the barrow, the rods would swing towards each stone and he passed them, and back to the centre during the spaces between. The same thing happened when I tried it, but when Matt had a go, they swung AWAY from the stones instead of towards them.
Have a go next time you’re there – see whether you’re an ‘inny’ or an ‘outy’!
Whatever you do, do not follow the signs to the official car park, unless you fancy a 2.5 mile trek down the Ridgeway. Check out your OS map and you’ll see there’s a small lane midway between the site and the car park- Once at the site, you’ll find a great longbarrow , although not on the scale of West Kennet, it’s somehow more inspiring. Set in a copse of tall trees, the only sound is that of the wind sighing through the trees, and a feeling of total tranquility pervades the whole area-forget what I said earlier-the long walk makes it all the more worthwhile-go early and forget for a few moments the teeming mass of human life thats all too close.
Mr Aubrey’s account of it is this. “About a mile [or less] from the Hill [White-Horse Hill] there are a great many large stones, which though very confused, must yet be laid there on purpose. Some of them are placed edgwise, but the rest are so disorderly, that one would imagine, they were tumbled out of a cart.”
The disorder which Mr Aubrey speaks of, is occasioned, by the people having thrown down some of the stones (for they all seem originally to have been set on edge) and broken them to pieces to mend their highways. Those that are left, enclose a piece of ground of an irregular figure at present, but which formerly might have been an oblong square, extending duly North and South.
On the eastside of the Southern extremity, stand Three Squarish flat stones of about four or five feet over each way, set on edge, and supporting a Fourth of much larger dimensions, lying flat upon them. These altogether form a Cavern or sheltering place.
[...] All the account, which the country people are able to give of it, is “At this place lived formerly an invisible Smith; and if a traveller’s Horse had lost a Shoe upon the road, he had no more to do, than to bring the Horse to this place, with a piece of money, and leaving both there for some little time, he might come again and find the money gone, but the Horse now shod.” The stones standing upon the Rudge way as it is called; (which was the situation, that they chose for burial monuments) I suppose, gave occasion to the whole being called WAYLAND-SMITH; which is the name it was always known by to the country people.
From ‘A letter to Dr Mead’ by Francis Wise (1738).
Wayland or Volund is the divine smith in Norse, Anglo-Saxon and Germanic. It is said that is you leave your horse tethered there overnight with a silver coin as payment, the horse will have been re-shoed in the morning!
In folklore, Volund and his two brothers steal the “swan-shifts” of three swan maidens then go on to convince the swan maidens to stay in their human forms and become their wives. After a period of 9 years the Swan-Maidens manage to find their swan-shifts and turn back into swans! Interesting as it has been observed that Waylands Smithy aligns to Deneb in the consellation Cygnus (The Swan)
Reference “The Cygnus Mystery” by Andrew Collins
In his book ‘Villages of the White Horse’ Alfred Williams writes about the legend of Wayland or Weland, the invisible smith who dwelt in the cave known as Wayland’s Smithy. His forge was hidden far under ground and legend has it if a traveller wanted his horse shod and left some money by the entrance when he returned later he would find the horse newly shod. A well known legend; Alfred Williams adds to it this passage:
“One day old Wayland lost his temper and gave a thrilling proof of his mighty strength, striking fear into the folks of the countryside round about. Running short of nails, he sent his favourite imp, Flibbertigibbert, down the valley to obtain some from the other blacksmiths, and bade him to make haste about it, as a horse was waiting outside to be shod. After waiting several hours he looked out from the cave and saw the imp had yielded to the temptations of a mortal and gone bird-nesting in the fields, forgetful of the nails. Thereupon Wayland, fell into a passion, snatched a big round stone, used as an anvil, and threw it at the loiterer, two miles off; the stone shot through the air with a loud whizzing noise and, falling short of the mark, nevertheless slid along the ground and struck the imp on the foot retaining the mark of his heel on one side. Thereupon the imp appeared to the astonished rustics, limping and snivelling and rubbing his eyes with his fist, so they called the spot Snivelling Corner, and the name remains to this day.”
Alfred Williams goes on to say “Others think the ‘heel’ on the stone at Snivelling Corner may be a clue to its true significance as a ‘heol stone’ or sun stone from ‘heelios’. Greek for sun.”
Source: “Villages of the White Horse” by Alfred Williams (first published 1913)
If you along the Rudgeway go,
About a mile for aught I know,
There Wayland’s cave then you may see,
Surrounded by a group of trees.
They say that in this cave did dwell
A smith that was invisible;
At last he was found out, they say,
He blew up the place and vlod away.
To Devonshire then he did go,
Full of sorrow, grief and woe,
Never to return again;
So here I’ll add the shepherd’s name -
Job Cork.
‘Job Cork’s poem also indicates the site had trees around it before those planted by Lord Craven in 1810.’ – Clive Alfred Spinnage
Be careful about the amount of cash you leave: “The popular belief still retains memory of this wild legend.. It was believed that Wayland Smith’s fee was sixpence, and that, unlike other workmen, he was offended if more was offered.”
From p219 of ‘Introductions and notes and illustrations to the novels..’ by Walter Scott. Vol 2, 1833.
This sounds reminiscent of hobs and fairies, who are also unimpressed by the wrong type of payment, and will stop being helpful after such mannerless behaviour.
“...Then let my tale be told,
While yet my stones stand firm on English mould,
To those among ye who yet love our tongue,
How Wayland the Smith forged here of old.”
K M Buck, The Song of Wayland
“It is believed that the almost total absence of coins from the recent excavations (1962-3) was largely due to the long-standing custom for the local children to search there for any coins which Wayland might have overlooked. (Disbury, D. 1968. History of Ashbury, II).”
From
Notes on the Folklore of Prehistoric Sites in Britain
L. V. Grinsell
Folklore, Vol. 90, No. 1. (1979), pp. 66-70.
Would excavators really have been expecting to find many coins anyway?!
A reasonably old record of the legend:
This was recorded by Francis Wise in 1738:
“All the account which the country people are able to give of it is ‘At this place lived formerly an invisible Smith, and if a traveller’s Horse had lost a Shoe upon the road, he had no more to do than to bring the Horse to this place with a piece of money, and leaving both there for some little time, he might come again and find the money gone, but the Horse new shod.”
(Letter to Dr Mead concerning Antiquities in Berkshire, Oxford, 1738, p37).The stone tomb is usually called ‘Wayland’s Smithy’, but Wise and other early writers call it simply ‘Wayland Smith’.
From: Weland the Smith, by H. R. Ellis Davidson, in Folklore, Vol. 69, No. 3. (Sep., 1958), pp. 145-159.
Sir Charles Peers, the joint excavator of the site, described the folk lore and its curious confirmation by the post-War work. It was said that Wayland, the Farrier God, lived here and shod the horses of the wayfarer who left a silver groat upon the stones. Now in excavating the site two iron currency bars of the first century B.C. were revealed, as if in fulfilment of the story.
But the stones themselves are the remains of a 200ft. long barrow erected 2,000 years before the currency bars came into being, while the name of the Teutonic god could not have been attached to the site until four or five centuries within the Christian era.
From The Times, August 9th, 1932, p13.
However, dully, I have read elsewhere the suggestion that the ‘currency bars’ aren’t as old as they might be. But what’s the truth?
According to the Davidson article in the Folklore post above, the bars are mentioned in C R Peers and R A Smith’s article in Archaeological Journal, I, 1921, p188.
What Wayland (Volund) got up to in his smithy isn’t actually very nice, if you read the ‘Völundarkviða’ Norse poem. It’s a bit gruesome. I’ll leave it up to you whether you tell the kids as they’re poking about amongst the stones. Actually they’ll probably relish it. A little excerpt:
He struck off the heads of those stalwart boys,
Under soot-blackened bellows their bodies hid,
From both their skulls he scraped the hair
And set them in silver as a sight for Nidud,
Of their eyes he fashioned excellent gems
For his dear neighbor, Nidud’s wife,
And out of the teeth which were in their mouths
He forged a brooch to bring Bodvild joy.
You can read the translation by W. H. Auden and P. B. Taylor at ‘Woden’s Harrow – Norse Myth Source Texts’ here
angelfire.com/on/Wodensharrow/volund.html
I’m posting this as folklore as much as to see if anyone can confirm the tale, else it’s in danger of becoming newly minted ‘folklore for the future’, at least in Tyneside.
During the great storm of 1987, when trees all over England were toppled by sudden great winds (the storm the Met Office didn’t predict), many of the trees surrounding Wayland’s Smithy were uprooted. However, none of them fell inwards, thus protecting the barrow from damage.
Is this true? and if so, is there a nice tidy rational explanation, possibly to do with air pressure or soil density, that doesn’t require the invocation of protective tree spirits?
My Grandfather has been a regular visitor to the vale for most of his life and he recently recounted this tale to me:
Wayland had a young apprentice called Flibberdy Gibbard whom he sent to Uffington to by some nails, sometime later Flibberdy returned with the wrong size nails and Wayland was so angered that he started throwing rocks at the poor apprentice, as each rock came they doubled in size ‘til he threw one giant rock which landed just next to the now whimpering Flibberdy who was forced to stay there sobbing ‘til the ends of his days.
This final rock, and the spot where Flibberdy Gibbard was banished to, can still be found down towards the farm and is now reffered to as Snivelling Corner.
It’s also where the term “Flibberdy Gibbard” cames from meaning one whom could not organise a p**s up in a brewery, Which Ironically was a favourite insult of my Great Grandmother!
Norse (or Teutonic) Mythology
Wayland (alt: Weland, Volund, Vulcan et al) appears in various guises in various mythologies (even Ancient Greece!). In the Northern Mythology he and his brothers come into contact with the Valkyrs, beautiful ladies with swan plummage who can fly, only to lose them later. Wayland pursues his love with zeal and this causes him to be captured and enslaved. He is put to work creating weapons of magical power and during his capture suffers the loss of an eye and a cut achilles hill resulting in a lame leg.
I thoroughly recommend anyone interested in wayland smithy to read up on the Norse Mythology for the full story, it is truly a wonderful tale.
The Saxons have many mythological associations with the Norse tradition and you can see how the story of Wayland has been carried from Remote Scandinavia, through mainland Europe and with the arrival of the Anglo-Saxons, into England and then to leafy Oxfordshire.
Although the folklore relates to the Anglo-Saxon mythology of a Neolithic Long barrow (many thousands of years difference!), it is still an interesting aside.
Tied up with Wayland Smithy are a number of stones and barrows relating to the tale. Wittich’s Hill, a barrow (Wittich was the son of Wayland) and Beaghild’s burial place (a princess whom Wayland ravished), another barrow are but two in the local area.
the secret passage
There is some folklore concerning Waylands that a secret passage lies underneath it and opens up in Ashbury coombes (a mile or so away). Shepherds in the late 19th century used to strike a crowbar into the ground near to the ‘cave’ (as it was then before reconstruction in the 1960s) and hear a hollow sound.
I guess they were half right! Later archaeology helped us understand that Waylands had a number of stages of construct. The hollow sound was likely to have been an earlier grave lying underneath the present sarsen faced long barrow.
I have also read of the secret passage connecting to White Horse Hill. The two sites seem always to be closey linked in folklore.
Female and Male stones?
The huge sarsens that guard the front of the tomb are four in number. Two other original large stones are missing. Are they in any particular shape? I have always looked at the lozenge (or diamond) shaped stones as female (think hips!) and the thinner more upright stones as male (think phallus!). This appears to be the case at Waylands Smithy (look at some of the piccies). I think the missing one on the left hand side was male and the missing one on the right hand side middle was female.
The avenue at Avebury sometimes leads me to a similar conclusion with male and female stones.
Kathleen Wiltshire published this story in her ‘More Ghosts and Legends of the Wiltshire Countryside’, hearing it from a Mrs J Morrison of Urchfont Manor in 1970.
A man was once camping near Wayland’s Smithy on a hiking trip. In the night ‘he heard much movement nearby as would be heard if men and horses were moving camp.’ In the morning he went to investigate where the sounds had been coming from – but there wasn’t so much as a mark in the damp grass. Locals were said to remark ‘It would be them Romans’ whom he’d heard.
Leave your horse and payment here and by the morning Wayland will have shod the horse and pocketed the cash.
It was one of those long barrows, which we meet with occasionally, having a kistvaen of stones within it, to protect the place of interment. Four large stones of a superior size and height to the rest, were placed before the entrance to the adit, two on each side ; these now lie prostrate on the ground : one of these measures ten and another eleven feet in height ; they are rude and unhewn, like those at Abury. A line of stones, though of much smaller proportions, encircled the head of the barrow, of which I noticed four standing in their original position ; the corresponding four on the opposite side have been displaced. The stones which formed the adit or avenue still remain, as well as the large incumbent stone which covered the kistvaen, and which measures ten feet by nine.
Sir Richard Colt Hoare – Ancient Wilts., ii, 47, 1821
‘About 1810 the ground covering and surrounding the stones was planted with fir trees and beeches, forming a circular plantation called here a folly, hence Wayland’s Folly, a name that did not stick. The planting was after the site had been cleared at the direction of Lord Craven who owned the site, the monument being made considerably more conspicuous . . . In 1859 the firs having died were cut down, leaving the exterior ring of beeches. In 1861 it was referred to as in a very neglected state, covered with elder bushes, briars and nettles and when A L Lewis visited it in 1868 he referred to it as within a plantation the denseness of which made it difficult to trace the surrounding layout of stones.‘
Clive Alfred Spinage
Myths and Mysteries of Wayland Smith
extract from ‘Berkshire’ by Harold Peake, concerning the first dig at Waylands:
‘... it was not until 1919 that any scientific exploration of it was undertaken. This exploration was conducted by Mr Reginald Smith and Mr C R Peers, with a number of Berkshire Colleagues, in July 1919 and June 1920. Among the interesting things that they found were two iron currency bars, dating from the Early Iron Age, dug up from the foot of the stone upon which it had been customary to place the groat.
The chamber has always been known to consist of a central passage, with a square chamber on either side and one at the end. The end slab has every appearance of having been a roofing slab that has slipped down behind two side stones at the end of this chamber, but no steps have been taken to ascertain whether the passage continued beyond it. The most interesting discovery made was that the sides of the barrow had been supported by dry walling of large sarsen stones set with a decided ramp. Remains of eight skeletons were found in the chambers, but in a bad state of preservation, while a burial in a crouched position was found just outside on the west. In spite of a careful search no grave furniture was found.‘
Wayland Smithy is a place that has a haunting atmosphere, and as I am reading a Peter Please book at the moment, he is a ‘wayfaring soul’ of Bath much given to walking the Wiltshire countryside,I thought it would be nice to recommend his book; “The Chronicles of the White Horse”, written for children and adults it is a good book and the story culminates at Wayland’s Smithy...
In the following quote he invokes the bloodied hooves of the horse pounding between the standing stones, calling the dead and all things that have ended back into the barrow....
“I was at the door of the manger, the horseshoe chamber of Waylands. Not a grave, but a door,
a passage between two worlds; a spirit cavern for the dead and all that is dying....
and on a happier note;
“I heard the bells ringing in Wayland’s Smithy. I heard the larks above White Horse Hill.I saw the flowers opening. I saw the barley growing. I saw the lambs in the meadows. I heard the earth singing. And even when the last of the light had faded to a pinprick in the sky, and the last of the stars had disappeared.....
Myself when I wrote about it found it an utterly peaceful place but I expect it was because there were no people around – dead or alive ;)
More Holy than rightious...
Those huge sarsens at Waylands (and indeed many other sites). Ever noticed that huge one at Waylands full of little holes? Well how? I was dicussing this recently with a visitor to the site who suggested that the geological formation of the sarsen was to blame. Apparently, the holes were formed when the sedimentary sandstone in more liquid form, moulded around tree roots. The later cooling and formation of the stones caused these holes to appear. The wood, rots away, or at best creates a weakness, and hey presto, the holes appear and erode. Holy or Hole-y?
Those interested in Waylands Smithy Neolithic origins should consider getting hold of a copy of John North’s wonderful book ‘Stonehenge, Neolithic Man and the Cosmos’ in which a section is devoted to the Archaeo-Astronomy of Waylands Smithy and how it is sited according to the rising and setting of certain star constellations that had either ritual, or functional importance to neolithic man. Apparently, Waylands Smithy has a relationship to Deneb, a star in Cygnus (the swan) in the Milky Way. This was a star that set on the northern point of the horizon and was revered in Northern Mythology.
A new book by a local author about waylands smithy has been released this year.
It is called ‘Myths and Mysteries of Wayland Smith’ by ‘Clive Alfred Spinage’ and is priced at £10 (GBP). It contains much folklore about the local legend of Wayland as well as more mythological folklore. There is also a good description of the archaeology relating to the site.
There are some excellent prints in it (although the print quality is a bit lacking) including a lovely ariel shot of the site showing that the ridgeway once flowed right past the front of the tomb rather than on its present course.
It is up for sale at www.amazon.co.uk, but I purchased mine local from a bookshop called ‘wessex press’ in Wantage. Good reading for those interested in both the archaeology and folklore of the site.
Weylands Smithy, not far from the White Horse at Uffington......my sacred place. A place I like to go when the hectic world becomes too much. At the entrance I always ask Wayland for permission to enter this sacred site, he always invites me in with a gentle breeze and a whisper of acknowledgement through the trees. Many people come to this place, tourists, Witches and those wishing to be at one with nature. It is welcoming and safe and there in that sacred place, you can be yourself and nothing but. It is charged with such electricity at different times of the year but it has a wonderful peaceful atmosphere all the same. Come to this place, kindly ask for permission to enter as to be respectful to Wayland and bask in all it’s Glory. Leave nothing behind except gentle tokens such as corn, flowers or your love when you go......but take with you the sense of peace and love that it gives willingly to those who wish to recieve it. Blessed Be that sacred place.
summer in 99
first time along the ridgeway
felt like my feet were wearing
away
had to stop here and rest in the arms of the mother
slept in the shade of a beech tree
so often been back since.
Walands Smithy Berkshire
By C. R. Peers, Secretary, and Reginald A. Smith, F.S.A.
[Read i6th December 1920]
Model of Wayland Smiths Cave (i.e. pre restoration). 3 miles from Shrivenham Station (Berkshire).
A wooden replica of Wayland’s Smithy.
Wayland’s Smithy Restoration in the 1960s. Richard Atkinson and Stuart Piggott.
Superb Image and text explaining the Weyland myth and the connections with other myths and legends.
Two slides of the smithy from the archive of the Oxford Institute of Archaeology.
Notes on Puck of Pooks Hill and the Sword of Weyland. Nice piccy of Mr Smith aswell.
Teutonic/Scandinavian Roots of Mr Smith. Not sure I want to go into the ‘Spae-Realms’ though, down the pub sounds like more fun. ;-)
Interesting look at how Blacksmiths are viewed as devilish in folklore and culture. Much text about the Vulcan!
View on prehistoric metallurgy and Wayland
Text by prof. David Hinton about another prof. who goes by the name of J R R Tolkein, and his travels to Wayland Smithy (and WHH and other places in the vicinity).
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Randal Graves: All right, look, there’s only one “Return,” okay, and it ain’t “of the King,” it’s “of the Jedi.”
Topics
Sites within 20km of Wayland’s Smithy
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Coin Barrow
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Adstone
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Hardwell Camp
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Tower Hill
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Ashbury
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Uffington Castle
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Idlebush Barrow
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Uffington Castle Long Mound
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Snivelling Corner
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Uffington Castle Round Barrow
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Uffington White Horse
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Dragon Hill
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Alfred’s Castle
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Ashdown Park Sarsens
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Rams Hill
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Ashbury Earthwork
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Three Barrows
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Blowing Stone
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Sparsholt Down
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Lambourn Long Barrow
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Fognam Clump Barrow
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Fognam Clump Barrow
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Lambourn Sevenbarrows
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Kingston Lisle Tumulus
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Moss Hill
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Hangman’s Stone
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Sparsholt Down (edge of)
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Pigtrough Bottom (top of)
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Hackpen Hill (Oxfordshire)
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Little Coxwell Camp
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Devil’s Punchbowl
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Sugar Hill
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Liddington Warren Farm
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Aldbourne 7
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Aldbourne Four Barrows
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Warren Farm
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Aldbourne 'Cup Barrow'
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Shipley Bottom
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Liddington Castle
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Badbury Hill Camp
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The Aldbourne Way
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The Giant’s Grave (Aldbourne)
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Aldbourne (west of Giant’s Grave)
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Aldbourne Blowing Stone
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Membury Camp
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Coate Stone Circle
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Highworth Circles
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Segsbury Camp
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Coate Mound
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East Garston Ditch
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Stanton Fitzwarren
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Ballards Copse Long Barrow
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Broome Long Stone
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Broome Temple
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Devil’s Footprint
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Burderop Wood Stone Circle
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Woolley Downs Barrows
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Pewitt Farm Barrow
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Whitefield Farm
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Castle Hill (Broad Blunsdon)
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Goddards Barn Barrow
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Round Hill Mound
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Yew Down Barrow
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Lord Wantage Monument Barrow
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Cherbury Camp
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Rushy Platt Bowl Barrow
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Midsummer Wood Barrow
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Barbury Castle
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Ogbourne St Andrew Church
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Ogbourne St Andrew Barrow
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Goldbury Hill
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Ogbourne Maizey Down Barrows
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Scutchamer Knob
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Grim’s Ditch
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Marlborough Common Golf Course Barrows
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Forest Hill Farm
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Bincknoll Castle
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Temple Bottom
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Hackpen Hill (Wiltshire)
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Savernake Temple
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Rough Hill Row
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Fiddlers Hill
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Rough Hill Barrows
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Rowbury Farm Barrow
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Barton Copse Barrows
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Marlborough Mound
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Manton Down
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Chisbury
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Long Tom (Fyfield)
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Old Chapel
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Savernake Lodge
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Beedon Barrow
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Berwick Bassett Down
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Fyfield Down settlement
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Horse and Jockey Barrows (Thorning Down)
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Manton Round Barrow
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