Notgrove Long Barrow — Place photograph (1 of 3)

Notgrove Long Barrow — Place photograph (2 of 3)

Notgrove, Gloucestershire, GL54 3BU

Notgrove Long Barrow

Prehistoric

Place photograph

4.7

Wildland

Under 1 hour

Time

Check

Cost

Ancient-feeling

Feel

FarmlandHillsHistory loversWalkers

Why it's Wildland

4.7

Beneath the grass lies a Cotswold–Severn chambered tomb: an east–west mound around 50 metres long, excavated in 1881 and again in 1934–35. Those excavations revealed a long gallery and burial chambers, including a distinctive dome-shaped inner chamber.

Notgrove is a modest stop rather than a grand ruin, but the scale of its prehistoric mound and the story of the chambers hidden beneath its turf make it a compelling encounter with the Cotswolds’ deep past. Go knowing that the landscape conceals more than it displays.

Ancient-feeling · Peaceful

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Notgrove, Gloucestershire, GL54 3BU

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The experience

Allow around an hour for the barrow itself. Read the interpretation, walk around the turf-covered mound and picture the chambers and finds documented by earlier excavations. This is a short heritage visit, not a substantial walking destination.

Things to do

Walk around the long mound

Take in the barrow’s elongated, tapering outline. Britain Express describes it as about 50 metres long, with ditches on either side created by quarrying material for the mound.

Part of an approximately 1-hour visit

Imagine the hidden chamber sequence

The mound is filled in, so its interior is not open to visitors. Excavations described a 12-metre passage leading to an antechamber, side chambers and an end chamber; use the interpretation available on site to picture that arrangement.

Make a day of it

Quick escape · Around 1 hour

A short encounter with the barrow

01
Check current access and parking before travelling.
02
Use the signposted layby described by Britain Express, if it is available and suitable on arrival.
03
Walk to the enclosure and view the turf-covered mound and surrounding ditches.
04
Read the supplied interpretation, if present, and consider how the excavated chambers once fitted within the mound.

Verified history

Notgrove Long Barrow is a Cotswold–Severn chambered tomb. Britain Express describes an east–west mound about 50 metres long and records excavations in 1881 and 1934–35. These exposed a forecourt, a passage around 12 metres long, an antechamber, four side chambers and an end chamber. Finds included human and animal bones, pottery, an amulet and a bone tool. The mound has since been filled in to protect the site. The Travel Fox also describes a dome-shaped chamber found during excavation.

Hidden details

The quarry ditches — Look for the ditches flanking the mound. Britain Express identifies them as the result of quarrying material used to construct the barrow.

A blocked-off end chamber — Excavation reports described the end chamber as having been blocked in the late Neolithic period. It is beneath the filled-in mound and cannot be seen on a visit.

When to go

· Choose daylight and check current access before travelling.

The supplied sources do not identify a best season. The site is described as open access, but current access should be checked.

Check the forecast and current site conditions before travelling. The supplied sources do not verify the present path surface or maintenance condition.

Worth pairing with

Notgrove village and St Bartholomew’s Church

The Travel Fox describes the village church as a Grade I building with medieval fabric. Consider pairing it with the barrow only after checking the church’s current visitor access.

What to look for

Look for the long, tapering turf-covered mound and the shallow ditches formed when material was quarried to build it. The internal gallery and chambers are not visible: their layout is known from excavations, not something visitors can explore today.

The story

Archaeology

Best time to go

Year-round; choose a clear day if you want to appreciate the surrounding Cotswold landscape.

Choose a clear, dry day for a more comfortable visit and a better sense of the surrounding landscape. Check access and parking before travelling.

How long to spend

Under 1 hour

Perfect for

History lovers · Walkers

Before you go

Google Maps

Address

Notgrove, Cheltenham GL54 3BU

Google rating

3.4 · 24 reviews

Practical information

Opening & access

A roadside heritage site beside the A436. Britain Express reports a signposted layby and a short walk to the enclosure, and describes it as an open-access site; check current access and parking conditions before travelling. The mound is turf-covered and its form may be difficult to make out.

Check before visiting

Parking

Britain Express reports a signposted layby nearby. Confirm current availability and any restrictions before setting out.

Toilets

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Food & drink

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Dogs

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Accessibility

The source row reports no wheelchair-accessible car park or entrance. Check current site conditions and access before visiting; the surface and route are not verified.

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Cost

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