<< Our Photo Pages >> Poles Wood South - Long Barrow in England in Gloucestershire

Submitted by HarryTwenty on Tuesday, 12 May 2020  Page Views: 7166

Neolithic and Bronze AgeSite Name: Poles Wood South Alternative Name: Swell IV
Country: England County: Gloucestershire Type: Long Barrow
Nearest Town: Stow on the Wold  Nearest Village: Lower Swell
Map Ref: SP16732636  Landranger Map Number: 163
Latitude: 51.935500N  Longitude: 1.758067W
Condition:
5Perfect
4Almost Perfect
3Reasonable but with some damage
2Ruined but still recognisable as an ancient site
1Pretty much destroyed, possibly visible as crop marks
0No data.
-1Completely destroyed
 3 Ambience:
5Superb
4Good
3Ordinary
2Not Good
1Awful
0No data.
 3 Access:
5Can be driven to, probably with disabled access
4Short walk on a footpath
3Requiring a bit more of a walk
2A long walk
1In the middle of nowhere, a nightmare to find
0No data.
 3 Accuracy:
5co-ordinates taken by GPS or official recorded co-ordinates
4co-ordinates scaled from a detailed map
3co-ordinates scaled from a bad map
2co-ordinates of the nearest village
1co-ordinates of the nearest town
0no data
 4

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4clydesdale7 visited on 14th Jun 2011 - their rating: Cond: 3 Amb: 4 Access: 3 GLO2 is a big one almost split in two by past excavations

Poles Wood South
Poles Wood South submitted by HarryTwenty : Western end looking east along the top of the barrow. (Vote or comment on this photo)
Chambered Long Barrow in Gloucestershire. This photo is of the western end looking east along the top of the barrow. This barrow is inter-visible with Poleswood East, the Tump bowl barrow and Lower Swell long barrow (see nearby sites list for these). This must have been quite a striking display in its day.

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Poles Wood South
Poles Wood South submitted by HarryTwenty : Western end. (Vote or comment on this photo)

Poles Wood South
Poles Wood South submitted by HarryTwenty : Eastern side looking west along the barrow. (Vote or comment on this photo)

Poles Wood South
Poles Wood South submitted by HarryTwenty : Top of the long barrow looking SE towards Lower swell long barrow. This barrow is intervisible with Poleswood East, the Tump bowl barrow and Lower Swell long barrow, must have been quite a striking display in its day. (Vote or comment on this photo)

Poles Wood South
Poles Wood South submitted by HarryTwenty : Southern side looking at the western end. The site is full of foliage at the moment. (Vote or comment on this photo)

Poles Wood South
Poles Wood South submitted by Bladup : The little chamber/cist at Poles Wood South chambered cairn.

Poles Wood South
Poles Wood South submitted by 4clydesdale7 : On the approach from SE

Poles Wood South
Poles Wood South submitted by 4clydesdale7 : From SSE along South side

Poles Wood South
Poles Wood South submitted by 4clydesdale7 : Another view of those Excavations (from W to E)

Poles Wood South
Poles Wood South submitted by 4clydesdale7 : The Eastern end from NW

Poles Wood South
Poles Wood South submitted by 4clydesdale7 : From West to East showing the Excavations that almost divide the Barrow

Poles Wood South
Poles Wood South submitted by 4clydesdale7 : From WNW looking along N side

Poles Wood South
Poles Wood South submitted by 4clydesdale7 : From W

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Nearby sites listing. In the following links * = Image available
 361m NE 48° Pole's Wood West* Chambered Tomb (SP170266)
 478m SSW 196° The Tump* Round Barrow(s) (SP166259)
 489m ENE 74° Poles Wood East* Long Barrow (SP172265)
 635m SSE 152° Lower Swell barrow* Chambered Tomb (SP17032580)
 1.0km SE 139° Whittlestone* Standing Stone (Menhir) (SP174256)
 1.1km ESE 120° Our Lady's Well (near Stow)* Holy Well or Sacred Spring (SP177258)
 1.3km SW 227° Condicote Lane Chambered Tomb (SP158255)
 1.5km S 170° The Horestone (Lower Swell)* Standing Stone (Menhir) (SP170249)
 2.4km NNW 327° Condicote henge* Henge (SP15392837)
 2.4km ENE 75° Broadwell Chambered Tomb (SP191270)
 2.5km WSW 257° Eyeford Chambered Cairn (SP143258)
 2.5km NW 320° Cross Well (Condicote)* Holy Well or Sacred Spring (SP15122827)
 2.5km WSW 255° New Close Chambered Tomb (SP143257)
 2.6km E 97° St Edwards (Stow Well) Well* Holy Well or Sacred Spring (SP1931126039)
 2.6km W 273° Swell Wold round barrow* Round Barrow(s) (SP14132648)
 2.6km NNE 15° Ganborough* Chambered Tomb (SP174289)
 2.7km E 99° Stow Camp* Hillfort (SP19442595)
 3.0km SE 128° St Edwards well* Holy Well or Sacred Spring (SP191245)
 3.2km W 274° Cow Common Long Barrow* Chambered Cairn (SP135266)
 3.5km W 269° Cow Common Barrow Cemetery* Barrow Cemetery (SP132263)
 3.9km W 260° Huntsmans Quarry Timber Circle (SP129257)
 4.2km NW 308° Oak Piece Chambered Tomb (SP134289)
 4.8km SE 132° Icomb Camp* Hillfort (SP20352315)
 5.6km S 172° Salmonsbury Camp* Hillfort (SP175208)
 6.0km N 1° Bourton on the Hill* Chambered Tomb (SP168324)
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"Poles Wood South" | Login/Create an Account | 6 News and Comments
  
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Re: Poles Wood South by HarryTwenty on Saturday, 13 January 2024
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Description from the twentytrees website. If you can get past the flowery language the finds are pretty interesting:

Pole's Wood South Barrow

Gloucestershire, 22 S.W. Parish of Upper Swell. 45*.

Latitude 51° 56' 06". Longitude 1° 45' 23". Height above O.D. about 710 feet.

Finds Near Stow on the Wold. Barrow 2 [Pole's Wood South Barrow [Map]] — seen at times, by those gifted with second sight, swathed in unearthly flame. On its surface, at the horned end, with her head south, broken, and her bones displaced, lay a lady — between her knees, a small iron knife ; below her breast, an amber bead, whilst two circular cabled fibulae fastened her shroud, one on each shoulder.

But, "place aux dames !" as Dr. Rolleston exclaimed, on further removal of the soil, the remains of other bodies appeared. The frame of a man, lying north-east by south-west, had been displaced to receive the lady's body. Skulls and bones of two infants were found. A Saxon family, prematurely cut ofi", would seem to have been committed to this particular spot, on the, even then, revered and ancient cairn. A singular circumstance attending this "find," was the arrival of a telegram, at a British barrow, summoning Dr. Rolleston, from the grave of the Saxon lady, to the sick bed of his sister. Progress indeed!

(www.twentytrees.co.uk/History/Prehistory/Thing/Cotswolds-Neolithic-Tombs.html?0LwxmM4L)
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Re: Poles Wood South by HarryTwenty on Saturday, 13 January 2024
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Description from the twentytrees website:

Swell Barrow 2 aka Pole's Wood South

"This is in the parish of Upper Swell, half a mile from the village, and one and a half miles from Stow-on‑the‑Wold. Its length was 173 feet, its greatest width 57 feet, and greatest height eight feet six inches; its direction was east by north and west by south, the highest portion lying towards the east. Like the others in this neighbourhood it is composed of oolitic rubble and slabs, and is surrounded by a wall, which at the east end reached to a height of five feet, and here it assumed the "horned" shape. Only one chamber was found in the whole of this mound; this was twenty-four feet from the west end, and on the north side of the barrow; it had a passage leading to it similar to the last. The chamber was seven feet long, four feet wide, and three feet eight inches high. At least nine skeletons were found here, together with bones of the goat or sheep, ox, pig, and two pieces of pottery. In the passage were found three other skeletons. Near the surface of the barrow three bodies were discovered, evidently Saxons, as proved by the articles found with them, viz., two bronze buckles, an iron knife, and an amber bead."

See "Jour. Anthrop. Inst.," vol. V, p120.

Also "British Barrows," p521.

(www.twentytrees.co.uk/History/Books/Thing/Long-Barrows.html?beBKOfC5)
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Re: Poles Wood South by Zooks777 on Friday, 13 August 2021
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Not on current Environment Agency lidar (grey icon next to that for CamRA)
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Re: Poles Wood South by 4clydesdale7 on Tuesday, 14 June 2011
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This one is big to the point that it could be mistaken for a pair. There have been quite a few excavations which on closer examination show that they virtually split the barrow in two - making it look on approach as a pair. Boy it is a big barrow - worth the uphill stroll up the farm track - the sheep wash etc shown on the OS map have a new build farmhouse on the uphill side - just press on with the visit
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Re: Poles Wood South by coldrum on Tuesday, 16 February 2010
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Pastscape entry.

http://www.pastscape.org.uk/hob.aspx?hob_id=330157
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Re: Poles Wood South by Anonymous on Saturday, 14 April 2007
This is a great an relatively unravished barrow. It's in a quiet secluded spot on the edge of woodland up a farm track. It's partially damaged from old excavations but not ruined by ploughing and agribiz. It's BIG and atmospheric, and there are some stones and a possible cist visible.
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