A bird’s eye view, from EH’s ‘Viewfinder’ database: it clearly shows the different shapes of the barrows.
Rhiannon
An in-depth discussion of the myth.
Photos of the stone.
The Wormwood Hill barrow seems to be the focus of Strange Things at Wandlebury. Has someone been chewing on too much wormwood? Over to you.
Photo of the site (denoted eccentrically as ‘Lugburg Cromlech’) by Alvin Langdon Coburn, probably taken during the first half of the 20th century.
Take a tour of the Down (with photo of the bronze age barrows that predate the fort).
Details and photos of flint tools and prehistoric ceramics found in the forest.
Article by Colin Richards about how archaeologists’ ideas have changed regarding Orkney in the Neolithic.
An article from 1999 by Mary Baxter, who excavated one of the long barrows. Neolithic people didn’t just bury their dead and leave them in peace – they moved them around and maybe even took parts to be buried elsewhere.
Robert W E Farrah’s interpretation of the sacred landscape around Mayburgh Henge and its possible orientation towards Blencathra.
Victoria and Paul Morgan’s research into the stones.
This has to be the most entertaining link on this website. Design yourself a torc, visit the druid and the gods, build a fort... – and you can hear it all in Welsh or English
Article which describes analysis of the drums – they are made of chalk and were therefore probably made locally in Folkton Wold.
(Previously they were thought to be Magnesian Limestone, which would have come from further afield.)
“Mendip Hills: An Archaeological Survey of the
Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty” by Peter Ellis.
There are a number of round barrows in this area, perching on the edge of the hill at Chew Down, and a couple of supposed longbarrows. Some people have doubted the latter’s authenticity (this is a mining area and longbarrows are rare in this area anyway). For details you could look at the Somerset Historic Environment records via https://webapp1.somerset.gov.uk[...]&mapx=299110&prn=34622
Panoramic from the circle, clearly showing Corndon Hill – the source of many Neolithic axes.
‘An antiquary’, observed the satirical writer Samuel Butler in the 1660s, ‘is an old frippery-Philosopher, that has so strange a natural Affection to worm-eaten speculation, that it is apparent he has a Worm in his Skull. He values one old Invention, that is lost and never to be recovered, before all the new ones in the World, tho’ never so useful.‘
Noel Malcolm reviews ‘Antiquaries: The Discovery of the Past in Eighteenth-Century Britain’ by Rosemary Sweet.
A 360 degree panorama from the beacon.
The Stonehenge Lasershow – more on the stonehenge carvings.
Danebury Excavations Digital Archive: extensive on-line excavation reports, including many illustrations.
This site has lots of information about flint knapping – history, practical tips...
The link is direct to the section about folklore connected with prehistoric flints – for example, the arrowheads that were later presumed to be ‘elf-shot’ in Britain, but it discusses how such tools have been interpreted and used throughout the world.
The Avenue connects the main Avebury circle with the Sanctuary up on Overton Hill. Nearly all the stones that were at the Sanctuary end were taken for buildings around West Kennett, but some remain. This lovely panorama shows you the field in which some of them lie (also read the WK Avenue forum thread for more details).
A beautiful panorama around the barrow, taken in the Spring and showing the fantastic bluebells in the wood.
Bill Thayer has put the text of this Victorian antiquarian’s book onto the internet. In places he has kindly linked back to this site. Though I don’t think George Witts himself thought of this.
[With thanks to Bill Thayer himself for updating this link].
This website has a photo and some information on the fort.
I don’t know what the fairies would think of what was done in 1953: to mark the coronation trees were planted to form ‘ER’ when seen from the air.
A panorama of Moel Arthur and surrounding landscape.
Aerial photo, artist’s reconstruction, information and access details.
Aerial photo and some archaeological details.
A picture of the stones at Auldearn – maybe once part of a stone circle. The area has stories of witchcraft connected with it (but as most confessions of witchcraft were extracted with torture I am loathe to credit them with any truth).
A photo of the site. Five large stones remain upright.
Acres of browsing and research: search for online articles, journals and their location etc. plus a wealth of links.
Celia’s site contains many descriptions and photos of standing stones – this page shows a picture of Long Tom amongst others.
Biff Vernon’s photo of the barrow. Unfortunately, as he explains the barrow doesn’t exactly have an aura of peace and quiet: “As some crazy example of how not to build a by-pass the new dual carriageway is raised on an embankment, a stone’s throw from the ancient monument of Pudding Pie Hill, in an apparently deliberate attempt to broadcast as much road noise as possible.”
Article on Gardom’s Edge as Neolithic trading centre.
Short article about the replica rock art at the site.
Article by Kevin L Callaghan.
Paul Ashbee’s article on the stones, especially with reference to the Coffin Stone.
The Great Sites series features Silbury Hill in the May 2003 edition.
British Archaeology has a short feature mentioning the Overton Down site, which is now (I believe) all grassy and convincingly ancient looking?!
The drums are on display in the British Museum – run up the stairs in the entrance hall and there you are.
The author of this excellent and comprehensive website went in search of the rumoured stone circle* and the hill figure – pointed in the right direction by the locals they apparently found the right spot. No sign remains of the pony/donkey but they did find some stones, of which there is a photo. They don’t look very big, but who’s to say: they could still be ancient? Does anyone else have any information about this circle?
Richard Osgood’s page on the barrow including three reasons why it’s difficult to see clearly: on the side of the road, being cut by a hedge, and lying under 1.2m of grasses. Better keep a sharp eye out.
Unusual carved megaliths found at Knowlton Henges, 2000
Anecdotes of weird experiences at Chanctonbury Ring.
Article by Jeremy Harte discussing the folklore and beliefs surrounding barrows throughout history.
An interesting page about a dig carried out near Battlesbury camp, which uncovered the grave of a late Bronze Age boy buried with a Neolithic axe, the traces of roundhouses, and a Mediterranean coral bead, amongst other things.
Also there’s a link to an e-book about excavations in the area along the southern range road from Battlesbury to Tilshead.
A picture of the cairn on this site – with the rather strange statement that:
“During excavation in 1963, some 5,000 seashell remains were found in the chamber, representing 15 different species. All had been eaten.”
I’m not sure how you know if a long deposited seashell had been used for food or not. But more interestingly, why were the shells in the cairn chamber? Did the seashells had some other significance than food? or were they for the dead to eat? Or was the chamber just being used as a shell tip (surely not?)
Jodie Lewis’s article on swallet holes in the Neolithic.
The trees on top of the barrow were/are known locally as the ‘Seven Sisters’. This is the website of ‘The Friends of Copt Hill’ community group.
Directions for walks including the Panorama Stone, the Badger Stone, and general information about the prehistory of the area.
Bill Rees’s site gives a comprehensive all-round description of the headland.