Ascott-Under-Wychwood Long Barrow was excavated 1965-9 in advance of works to straighten a road, which in the end never took place.
The barrow was 46metres long and up to 15metres wide, with an east-west alignment. The barrow was wedge shaped, the broader east end had two horns and a small forecourt, it was an earthen long Barrow with a stone revetment. The barrow contained two opposed pairs of stone cists (these are now in the Museums Resource Centre, Standlake, Oxfordshire). The bones contained in the cists were from about twenty-one individuals. The barrow was constructed about 3800BCE and in use until about 3650BCE.
Earliest evidence on the site in in the form of flints from the Mesolithic c.8000BCE with further finds from c.5000BCE. There was some neolithic occupation debris on the site including hearths, pits, and post holes which may represent structures. Additionally there were also midden deposits that dated from c.3900BCE, a short period (it is suggested possibly as little as fifty years) after the abandonment of this phase of the site the barrow was constructed and the stone cists were inserted into the midden deposits. During excavation neolithic and Roman quarries were found to the north of the barrow.
Two chamber stones removed in the late 19th century during ploughing were found at the time of excavation in the hedge bordering the road (B4437) to the south of the barrow.
This barrow was fully excavated, the stone cists were also removed and were on display in the Oxfordshire Museum (Woodstock) until the late 1990s when they were removed to the Museums Resource Centre at Standlake (formerly known as the Oxfordshire Museums Store).
There is nothing to see at this site today, it is just an overgrown field sometimes used for grazing cattle. Roughly south west about 300metres away and within sight is 'Coldwell Bridge Long Barrow 2' which is of similar size and alignment, but this barrow is in a field which has been heavily cultivated and is only visible as a slight elongated hump. Coldwell Bridge Long Barrow 2 is often confused with Ascott-Under-Wychwood Long barrow since the former is actually marked on the 1:25,000 Ordnance Survey maps.
For further information see:
Benson, D. & Whittle, A. (eds) 2007. Building Memories: The Neolithic Cotswold Long Barrow at Ascott-Under-Wychwood, Oxfordshire
OXFORD: Oxbow Books
Witney Library and Wychwood (Milton-Under-Wychwood) Library both hold reference copies of this book.
Something is not right. This message is just to keep things from messing up down the road