Wayland's Smithy Long Barrow View all content for Wayland's Smithy

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.

Posted by wysefool 5th November 2003ce

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