Notgrove Long Barrow

Notgrove Long Barrow stands on a ridge in the Cotswolds and preserves evidence of a changing Neolithic burial monument. Its mound was built from small stones and retained by dry-stone walling. Excavation identified an early dome-shaped chamber enclosing a burial cist, sealed before later features were constructed. A separate gallery entered from the east served further chambers, with human remains recovered from the side compartments and pottery and animal bones elsewhere. The entrance was blocked during the later Neolithic, marking another change in use. George Witts investigated the site in 1881, and Elsie Clifford conducted further excavation in 1934–35. These interventions altered the mound’s appearance while revealing its internal organisation. Finds were deposited in Cheltenham’s museum collections. Notgrove is consequently important as an example of burial architecture developing over time, rather than as an untouched mound with a single construction date. Period: Neolithic Grid reference: SP 09582 21201 Protection: Scheduled monument Source: Historic England, https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1009157 (Open Government Licence). © Historic England 2026. Contains Ordnance Survey data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Banner photo: "Notgrove Long Barrow (1) - geograph.org.uk - 3090388" by Michael Dibb, via Wikimedia Commons, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0.