Randwick Long Barrow, Gloucestershire
Text by Tim Darvill
Set within an area of typical Cotswold woodland, Randwick long barrow can be hard to find in summer when the foliage is thick. But in many respects its place in a woodland glade is highly authentic to judge from evidence for the environmental setting of most long barrows.
The mound at Randwick is large: about 56m long by 26m wide, it still stands 4m high at the north-east end. Excavations in 1883 found a forecourt opening to the north-east, from which there was access to a simple square chamber of one cell containing disarticulated human remains described at the time as ‘confused mass’. Traces of the chamber can still be seen, although it is not fully accessible.
Additional burials were found adjacent to the barrow on the southwest side. Key things to note at this site are: its woodland setting; its position on a steep-sided promontory; and the size of the mound. All around the mound are traces of quarrying in the form of pits and spoil heaps.
Most are fairly recent in date, but one or two may be contemporary with the long barrow. Round barrows and a linear cross-ridge dyke can be found in the woodland north of the long barrow.
Directions
SO 8250 0690. 3km NW of Stroud, W of the A4173. Approached by minor road from Whiteshill to Edge, turning W at Scottsquar towards Haresfield. Car-park at SO 833 087. From here footpaths lead S into Standish Wood. National Trust.
Further reading: Witts 1884a; Crawford 1925, 129-33 (C47).
Long Barrows of the Cotswolds and surrounding areas – Tim Darvill
