Details of Barrow on Pastscape
The site of a Neolithic chambered long barrow, north of Battlescombe Farm. Known locally as The Giants Stone which referred to one of two vertical stones which originally formed the chambers and which were left standing after the barrow had been destroyed. Nothing of the barrow or either stone now remains.
SO 91770611 The Giant’s Stone (NAT) Burial Chamber (NR) (Remains of) (NAT) (1)
A chambered long barrow, known as the Giant’s Stone Barrow, was almost destroyed by 1883, although some of the stones forming the chambers remained. One of them was known locally as the Giant’s Stone. Apart from two megaliths, 4 ft long and 2 ft above ground, there are now no traces of the barrow except for a slight indication of a mound. (2-5)
This area is now completely covered by a tangle of fallen trees, overgrown with nettles and scrub. No trace of any mound could be found, and only one ivy-covered upright stone, 0.4 m high by 1.2 m wide by 0.1 m thick was located, at SO 91770611, as depicted on OS 25” (1).
The name, ‘The Giant’s Stone’, could not be verified locally. Published 1:2500 detail correct. (6)
The stone know as ‘The Giants Stone’ was apparently originally part of a chambered long barrow. The barrow was virtually destroyed in 1883 although some of the stones froming the chambers remained. The site was visited by Crawford in 1920, and he noted that the barrow had been removed, or nearly so, leaving some of the stones which formed the chambers, especially a large one locally known as ‘The Giant’s Stone’. He recorded two vetical moss-grown stones spaced about 6 inches apart, placed parallel to each other, the tops of which were about 2ft above the ground, and alignd east-west. A visit in 1986 by R Cudby resulted in a report that according to local knowledge the stones were carted awy, and one of them was left beside the access to a field further up the lane to prevent cart from damaging the dry stoen wall. He located the site of the long barrow, but there were no obvious remains, although he thought that he saw broken fragments of one of the stones buried in the ground. The location given by the grid reference was visited. The stone was though to lie on the north side of a track. This track is bounded on the north and south sides by a dry stone wall, but the wall is demolished at the point where the stone should be, and there is no sign of the stone. There is also no obvious sign of a long barrow in the immediate vicinity. (7)
The site of the Neolithic chambered long barrow referred to by the above authorities (1-7) was viewed on aerial photographs as part of The Cotswold Hilsl NMP survey but no earthworks or cropmarks were visible. (8)
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SOURCE TEXT
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( 1) Ordnance Survey Map (Scale / Date) OS 25” 1913
( 2) by G B Witts 1883 Archaeological handbook of the county of Gloucester, being an explanatory description of the archaeological map of Gloucestershire Witts, G.B. (1883) 79, No15
( 3) by Glyn E Daniel 1950 The prehistoric chamber tombs of England and Wales Daniels, G.E. (1950) 225, No 32
( 4) by O G S Crawford 1925 The long barrows of the Cotswolds Crawford O.G.S (1925) 100-101, No 28
( 5) Transactions of the Bristol and Gloucestershire Archaeological Society O’Neill & Grinsell (1960) Gloucestershire Barrows, Lists: Long Barrows, Gloucestershire. 79 Page(s)72
( 6) Field Investigators Comments F1 GB 11-OCT-77
( 7) English Heritage Alternative Action Report J Heath, 09 March 1999
( 8) RCHME/EH Aerial Photographers Comment Amanda Dickson/18-JAN-2010/English Heritage: Gloucestershire County Council: The Cotswolds Hills NMP
