<< Our Photo Pages >> Thornwell Farm - Chambered Tomb in Wales in Monmouthshire
Submitted by thecaptain on Friday, 22 October 2004 Page Views: 12923
Neolithic and Bronze AgeSite Name: Thornwell FarmCountry: Wales County: Monmouthshire Type: Chambered Tomb
Nearest Town: Chepstow Nearest Village: Chepstow
Map Ref: ST53959167 Landranger Map Number: 162
Latitude: 51.621955N Longitude: 2.66658W
Condition:
5 | Perfect |
4 | Almost Perfect |
3 | Reasonable but with some damage |
2 | Ruined but still recognisable as an ancient site |
1 | Pretty much destroyed, possibly visible as crop marks |
0 | No data. |
-1 | Completely destroyed |
5 | Superb |
4 | Good |
3 | Ordinary |
2 | Not Good |
1 | Awful |
0 | No data. |
5 | Can be driven to, probably with disabled access |
4 | Short walk on a footpath |
3 | Requiring a bit more of a walk |
2 | A long walk |
1 | In the middle of nowhere, a nightmare to find |
0 | No data. |
5 | co-ordinates taken by GPS or official recorded co-ordinates |
4 | co-ordinates scaled from a detailed map |
3 | co-ordinates scaled from a bad map |
2 | co-ordinates of the nearest village |
1 | co-ordinates of the nearest town |
0 | no data |
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TheCaptain visited on 26th Mar 2022 - their rating: Cond: 3 Amb: 3 Access: 5 Walking the Welsh Coast Path from Chepstow to Caldicot. Remains of a chambered longbarrow on a green area in the housing estate of Thornwell, near to the motorway junction south of Chepstow. Remains of two slab sided chambers can still be seen when the undergrowth is low.
TheCaptain visited on 11th Nov 2006 - their rating: Cond: 2 Amb: 2 Access: 5 On a housing estate to the south of Chepstow, right beside the Severn Bridge motorway junction from where it can be seen, are to be found the sad remains of a once major neolithic chambered tomb. It is to be found on a green space between the houses of Fountains Way and the back of a shopping area, and has a very large old oak tree growing on top of it. Under the tree can be seen remains of a large mound with various rocks sticking out, particularly on the northern side. Closer inspection of the high ground beside the tree reveals what looks to be the remains of a tomb chamber. Several edge set stones are to be seen sticking out of the ground, forming a rectangular structure about 3 metres by 2 metres, with a right angle incorporated – perhaps remains of an entrance and side chamber ? Below the tree the ground drops away quite steeply, and indeed may be the remains of the edge of the tomb, which has been shown to have once consisted of a large drystone wall surrounded structure. Within the rubble in this bank are several large stone slabs, which may once have been part of a side chamber. The stones are the local hard puddingstone type conglomerate of sandstone with gravel in it. When I was visiting, I was not sure whether this was the right place for this tomb, and so asked a local lady. She told me that although she did not know what was there, she had been told that her views would never be spoiled because no new building would ever be allowed on the green space because of some historical site. Excavations here in the past have revealed drystone walling, one main and two side chambers (one with a porthole) plus human bones, pottery, flints etc.
hamish have visited here
Average ratings for this site from all visit loggers: Condition: 2.5 Ambience: 2.5 Access: 5
Closer inspection of the high ground beside the tree reveals what looks to be the remains of a tomb chamber. Several edge set stones are to be seen sticking out of the ground, forming a rectangular structure about 3 metres by 2 metres, with a right angle incorporated – perhaps remains of an entrance and side chamber ?
Below the tree the ground drops away quite steeply, and indeed may be the remains of the edge of the tomb, which has been shown to have once consisted of a large drystone wall surrounded structure. Within the rubble in this bank are several large stone slabs, which may once have been part of a side chamber. The stones are the local hard puddingstone type conglomerate of sandstone with gravel in it.
Excavations here in the past have revealed drystone walling, one main and two side chambers (one with a porthole) plus human bones, pottery, flints etc.
More information about Thornwell Chambered Tomb from coflein.
About 100 metres to the east of the chambered tomb, following a footpath up between the houses, the remains of a bronze age round barrow can be found in another green grassy area left between the houses. Its about 10 metres in diameter, and in a few places an occasional stone can be seen to be sticking through the grass.
More information about Thornwell Round Barrow from coflein.
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