Name: Wayland's Smithy
Rating: 5.0

Wayland's Smithy

Ashbury, Swindon, Oxfordshire, UK

1-99 Years

Website

Contact

Message

Description

Wayland's Smithy is an atmospheric historic site about a mile's walk along the Ridgeway from the Uffington White Horse. A Neolithic chambered long barrow, it was once believed to have been the home of Wayland, the Saxon god of metal working.

Human remains found on the site indicate that 14 people were interred in an earlier burial structure between 3590 and 3550 BC. Between 3460 and 3400 BC a second far larger barrow was constructed on top. It is the ruins of this that can be explored by visitors to the site today.

Free Entry. If you are looking for Best place for day out with kids and families then this is the perfect destination offering fun, adventure, and unforgettable memories for everyone.

Features

Free
Host birthday parties: No

Features

History of Wayland’s Smithy: Wayland’s Smithy is a two-phase Neolithic tomb, built along the Ridgeway close to a north scarp of the Downs above the Vale of the White Horse in south Oxfordshire. The first monument here, built between 3590 and 3555 BC, was a mortuary structure of stone and wood. After a short period of disuse, this was encased within a second, larger, barrow double its height, which remained in use for about 100 years.
Construction and Use: The first structure here (known as Wayland’s Smithy I) was a mortuary structure of stone and wood. On a pavement of sarsen stone slabs lay a narrow wooden box, in which people were successively buried Two split tree-trunks were placed upright at each end.
The remains of 14 people – 11 men, two women and a child – were discovered in this first structure when it was excavated in 1963. Radiocarbon dating has shown that the first burials were probably placed there in 3590–3555 BC, and the last in 3580–3550 BC.
Closure of the First Barrow: We don’t know what circumstances caused this group of people to be interred over such a short period. They may have suffered some illness or injury during conflict. There are potentially three or more people who suffered lethal arrowhead strikes, and two individuals whose remains were subject to scavenging by animals before burial.
The Second Barrow: After a period of disuse, a second, larger barrow (now known as Wayland’s Smithy II), with a monumental façade, was built over the top. Built between about 3460 and 3400 BC, this absorbed the older mound altogether. The barrow is thought to have remained in used for burials for less than 100 years.
Later History: Wayland’s Smithy has been a recognised feature of the historic landscape since at least the 10th century AD. The name of Wayland’s Smithy has been linked to the long barrow since at least AD 955, when it was referred to as ‘Weland’s Smithy’ in a Saxon charter. It appears to be a name handed down from a time when metalworking was remembered as a potent, even magical practice.

Facilities

Parking: There is a charged car park at White Horse Hill, free to English Heritage members.

Website

Contact

Price

Price: Free

Birthday Parties

Offer Birthday Parties: No

Open any reasonable time during daylight hours.

Address: Ashbury, Swindon, Oxfordshire, UK

Post Code: SN6 8NX

Council: Vale of White Horse

County: Oxfordshire

Road Access: On the Ridgeway (closed to vehicles); 3⁄4 mile North-East of B4000, Ashbury – Lambourn Road.
Bus Access: Go Ride service 90 then a short walk along the Ridgeway path. Thames Travel service X47 (Sat only) provide additional facilities.
Bicycle Access: Find this site on The National Cycle Network.
Parking: There is a charged car park at White Horse Hill, free to English Heritage members.