 Stoney Littleton Long Barrow entrance, 2015 | |
  Stoney Littleton Long Barrow Shown within Somerset | |
| Alternative name | Bath Tumulus; Wellow Tumulus |
|---|---|
| Location | nearWellow |
| Region | Somerset, England |
| Coordinates | 51°18′48″N2°22′54″W / 51.31335°N 2.38168°W /51.31335; -2.38168 |
| Type | Chambered long barrow |
| Height | c. 3 meters |
| History | |
| Founded | c. 3500 BC |
| Periods | Neolithic |
| Site notes | |
| Condition | intact |
| Public access | yes |
TheStoney Littleton Long Barrow (also known as theBath Tumulus and theWellow Tumulus) is aNeolithic chamberedtomb with multiple burial chambers, located near the village ofWellow in the English county ofSomerset. It is an example of theCotswold-Severn Group and was scheduled as anancient monument in 1882. It was one of the initialmonuments included when theAncient Monuments Protection Act 1882 became law.[1]
Thechambered long barrow was built around 3500 BC. Excavations in the early 19th century uncovered bones from several individuals. The stone structure is about 30 metres (98 ft) in length and contains a 12.8-metre (42 ft) long gallery with three pairs of side chambers and an end chamber.
The barrow is approximately 1.5 kilometres (0.9 mi) south west of the village ofWellow. It is on alimestone ridge overlookingWellow Brook approximately 200 metres (660 ft) to the north and west of the barrow.[2] It is surrounded by a rectangular grass area accessed via a stile and footpath from a car park at Stoney Littleton Farm.[3]
Chambered long barrows were constructed during theNeolithic between 4000 and 2500BC for theritualinhumation of the dead.[4] Stoney Littleton Long Barrow was probably constructed around 3500 BC.[5]
The tomb was first opened around 1760 by a local farmer to obtain stone for road building.[5][6] The site was excavated byJohn Skinner andRichard Hoare in 1816–17, along with a labourer Zebedee Weston,[7] who gained the entry through the hole which was made previously.[4] The excavation revealed the bones (some burned) of several individuals.[5] The mound was restored in 1858 by Thomas Joliffe.[2] Some of the artefacts from the excavations are in theBristol Museum & Art Gallery.[3]
It was scheduled as anancient monument in 1882.[8] Since 1884, the Stoney Littleton Long Barrow has been in state care,[8] and is now managed byEnglish Heritage who have provided an information board at the site.[5] Further conservation work and ageophysical survey were carried out in 1999 and 2000 by the Cotswold Archaeological Trust.[2]
Severn-Cotswold tombs consist of precisely-built, longtrapezoid earth mounds covering a burial chamber.[9] The Stoney Littleton Long Barrow stands on alimestone ridge overlookingWellow Brook and the village of Wellow.[10] It is constructed from stone, includingBlue Lias andForest Marble quarried within an 8-kilometre (5.0 mi) radius.[2][3][5]
It is around 30 metres (98 ft) in length and 15 metres (49 ft) wide at the south-east end, it stands nearly 3 metres (10 ft) high.[8] Internally it consists of a 12.8-metre (42 ft) long gallery with three pairs of side chambers and an end chamber.[4] The passage and entrance are roughly aligned towards the midwinter sunrise.[11] The roof is made of overlapping stones.[12] There is a fossilammonite impression decorating the left-handdoorjamb.[13][14]
Unusually, the barrow is not situated on flat ground and "looks as though it is sliding down the side of a hill."[3]
