Nympsfield Long Barrow

Nympsfield Long Barrow occupies a prominent position above the Severn Valley. Built during the Neolithic, it contained a stone gallery leading to side chambers and an end chamber within a mound of small stones. Its roof and much of the covering were lost through later disturbance, leaving the chamber arrangement exposed. Investigations by Buckman in 1862, Elsie Clifford in 1937 and Alan Saville in 1974 recovered human remains and pottery. At least thirteen individuals were represented, including a child placed within a stone cist in the northern chamber. Pottery found in the material blocking the entrance suggests that the tomb was sealed before the Neolithic ended. Later legends, including an account of the site as a refuge for people with leprosy, are separate from this archaeological evidence. The present display reflects excavation and conservation rather than an intact prehistoric tomb. Period: Neolithic Grid reference: SO 79385 01327 Protection: Scheduled monument Source: Historic England, https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1007912 (Open Government Licence). © Historic England 2026. Contains Ordnance Survey data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Banner photo: "Nympsfield Long Barrow (geograph 1901274)" by Neil Owen, via Wikimedia Commons, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0.