Wayland's Smithy, Neolithic burial ground on the Ridgeway, Oxfordshire, Great Britain.
Description
Wayland's Smithy is a Neolithic chambered long barrow on the Ridgeway in Ashbury, Oxfordshire, England. The stone structure holds two opposing side chambers and a terminal chamber, creating a cross-shaped burial area with four large sarsen stones marking the entrance.
History
The initial wooden structure was built between 3590 and 3550 before Christ and contained fourteen burials. Around 3460 before Christ, a larger stone mound was constructed over the original site.
Culture
The burial ground takes its name from a Germanic smith-god, a link first recorded in a land deed from 908. Visitors today find a quiet woodland clearing with moss-covered stones, often visited by walkers following the ancient ridgeway route.
Practical
Access requires a walk of about one mile along an exposed hillside from the White Horse Hill car park. Sturdy footwear is advisable, as the path can become slippery in wet weather.
Did you know?
Local tradition claimed that a horse left with a coin would be reshod overnight by an invisible blacksmith. This story linked the ancient burial ground to folklore about supernatural craftsmen.
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