Am a bit taciturn at present so it takes a good friend to seek out my company. My Cotswold Walking Friend with whom I spent so many sunny days last year tracking down Gloucestershire long barrows, proved their steely merit today. I was collected with a brisk "we're going for a walk, whatever" and transported to Chavenage Green near Tetbury.
Using OS Explorer 168 we found the footpath which led to Longtree Bottom Covert - a peaceful wooded area whose resident tawny owl was making its presence heard. On to Pond Covert then uphill where my friend pointed out Lechmore long barrow to our left. Over a rickety wooden fence/stile, we found ourselves in the meadow full of wild grass and cow parsley. The song of skylark rose upwards around us; swallows swooped.
The long barrow has a single hawthorn tree on it, today in full may blossom. Cow parsley and wild grasses covered the barrow and to some extent concealed the scatter of limestones across the top of the barrow. The sun tried to shine, the rain tried to fall, the wind won the day. Lovely!
Visited on a beautiful spring day (21.3.2009), walking up from Nailsworth via Tetbury Lane. Following the footpath to the north of the barrow, I noticed a collection of broken limestone slabs and stones tucked into the (otherwise stone-free) hedge at ST856982, which could easily have formed part of something megalithic at one time. The long barrow is situated in a grassy field, currently full of sheep. It is quite ploughed-down, with various stone blocks scattered on the top that are likely to have once formed part of the barrow itself. Lechmore round barrow is visible a little way away to the southalong the ridge.
From here I went on to The Oven near Brandhouse Farm.
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Posted by tjj
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