Common things these Barrows

Bit grey and overcast today and didn't want to go to far - plenty of sites of interest near Stroud so why not Selsley Common.
"If up on this hill for pleasure you ride
The prospect is pleasant on every side
And if you do walk, the pleasures are still
To be seen from each corner of Selsley Hill".
Anon   1841

Very true on a nice day but not today,  strong winds and intermittent rain made us glad to adjourn to a pub for lunch. The TootsLong Barrow though was easy to find and the subsequent wander through Penn Woods very pleasant. It was at least out of the wind. Spectacular views though from the top almost made it worthwhile braving the gale.

Nice lunch though in the pub in the village. It was still raining when we emerged and   a car trip seemed preferable to walking. Nymphsfield Barrow is just down the road so it got a fleeting visit.

Not much of this left now. Much of the stone has been plundered and the mound has all but disappeared despite it being avoided in the Middle Ages for being a suspected leper hhous You can still see the layout of the chambers and the remains of 17 individuals have been excavated.

This is a popular picnic spot and there were several hardy souls doing exactly that nearby - under the protection of a portable awning. Not much neolithic ambience to be found here anymore.

Last stop was at Uley Barrow, again just down the road. This is better known as Hetty Peglar's Tump.  Bit of a sad sight isn't it? It's been closed by English Heritage  since 2008 for "structural repairs"

Even the construction company's surrounding fences have been vandalised and and the carefully conserved turf from the top of the mound was brown and curling on the plywood where it had been placed.