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Long Barrow
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King's Play Hill is prominent in the landscape – part of the striking undulating hills that rise out of the flat land below. The slope is steepest to the north-west, but the longbarrow here is sited just below the crest on the south-east side. This gives it extensive views over the Vale of Pewsey (rather than the view of the flat Neolithic desert south-east of Chippenham, which it could otherwise enjoy). The mound only stands 1m high now, and is orientated in the popular NE-SW direction. Cunnington dug into it in the 19th century to disturb a crouched skeleton and a number of flint flakes.
There are also two later bowl barrows on the hill's crest – these would probably be visible from a wider variety of directions therefore? According to the Victoria County History, one of these was reused for a burial in Saxon times (though this is not mentioned in the EH SMR).
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Posted by Rhiannon
18th August 2004ce
Edited 18th August 2004ce
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