Your mind probably jumps to Stone Henge when you think of prehistoric sites of the United Kingdom, but this is just one of many prehistoric attractions in the country. England is home to a rich past, extending far back into prehistory from Neolithic farmers to comparatively recent Roman conquests and Tudor drama. The Cotswolds are privy to all of these aspects of Britain’s history, featuring ancient monuments as well as exciting excavations.
In fact, the Cotswolds are rich in historic sites, from remains from early Iron Age settlements to Roman villages. Over one hundred burial grounds from the Neolithic era are scattered throughout the region. Being a walking hotspot and an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, the Cotswolds allows visitors to engage with ancient history unlike anywhere else, so if history is your thing, then the Cotswolds won’t disappoint.
This is our guide to ancient UK sites of the Cotswolds.
1. Roman Baths, Somerset
The historic city of Bath, famed for its steaming mineral springs, has drawn visitors for millennia. The Romans were the first to transform this place into a sacred sanctuary, dedicating the thermal waters to Minerva Sulis. Unlike many Roman outposts, Bath wasn’t built as a military garrison but as a haven for relaxation and socialising. Today, only the main pool of the original Roman Baths survives. The elegant Georgian buildings that surround it are reminders of Bath’s later reinvention as a fashionable spa destination in the 18th century.
Because this site is one of England’s most visited landmarks, it’s best explored early in the day before the crowds arrive. Hiring a private guide is well worth it to truly appreciate the site’s layered history, from its Roman origins to its Georgian glamour and modern archaeological discoveries.
Although swimming in the ancient pool is prohibited, you can experience the same thermal waters at Thermae Bath Spa, a contemporary wellness retreat fed by the historic spring (remember to pack a swimsuit and note that children under 16 aren’t allowed).
The adjacent museum offers deeper insights into Bath’s past, including a fascinating collection of curse tablets unearthed locally. These inscribed lead sheets were once offered to Minerva Sulis, imploring her to punish wrongdoers—often thieves—with terrifyingly specific fates, from blindness to having their entrails devoured. History, it seems, has always had a dramatic streak.
Bath is a stop on our Bath and the Cotswolds Walking Tour and our Cotswold Way Long Distance Walking Tour.
2. Belas Knap, Gloucestershire
Belas Knap is situated on Cleeve Hill in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, and is an ancient site dating back to the Neolithic era. It is one of four long barrows in the care of English Heritage. It is one of the finest surviving examples of a Cotswold-Severn Cairn, a distinctive type of Neolithic long barrow with a characteristic trapezoid design. These ancient monuments, scattered along the River Severn, are believed to date back to around 3000 BC. They served as communal burial sites, with multiple interments taking place over many years before the chambers were eventually sealed.
Measuring about 178 feet (54 m) long, 60 feet (18 m) wide, and nearly 14 feet (4.3 m) high, Belas Knap is an impressive presence in the Cotswold landscape.
A striking feature is the false entrance on its northern face, constructed with carefully crafted dry-stone walls and large limestone blocks. This was never intended for practical use—it may have been a symbolic threshold, sometimes called a “spirit door,” allowing the souls of the dead to move freely, or possibly a decoy to confuse grave robbers.
The real burial chambers lie along the east and west flanks and at the southern end of the mound. Four chambers in total were built from upright stones joined by dry-stone walling, each originally roofed with corbelled stonework.
Initial excavations between 1863 and 1865 uncovered the remains of five children, the skull of a young man, and various animal bones, along with fragments of pottery and a flint blade. Later work from 1928 to 1931 stabilised the barrow, rebuilt collapsed sections, and restored its outline.
A further dig in 1963 revealed 38 additional skeletons, as well as more flint tools, pottery shards, and animal remains from the late Neolithic period (around 2000 BC). These finds suggest the site was used for burials over an extended timeframe, possibly long after the original construction.
If you are walking from Winchcombe, it is about 5 miles, leaving via Vineyard Street and following the Cotswold Way as it ascends up to Belas Knap. This really intriguing ancient site is well worth a visit.
Several of our tours visit Cheltenham, only a stone’s throw from Belas Knap, including:
- The South Cotswold Ring Walking Tour
- The Grand Tour of the Cotswolds on Foot
- The Cotswold Circle Walking Tour
- The Guided Cotswold Walking Tour
3. Windmill Tump, Gloucestershire
Another one of the four Gloucestershire long barrows is Windmill Tump, also known as Rodmarton Long Barrow.
Measuring around 200 feet (60 m) in length and 69 feet (21 m) in width, Windmill Tump is oriented east to west and was originally built from roughly 5,000 tons of stone, now hidden beneath its earthen covering. A false entrance on the eastern side is all that remains visible of the original stonework, a feature thought to have symbolic or ritualistic significance rather than practical use.
The site contains two burial chambers, reached by passageways branching north and south behind the false entrance. These chambers once held the remains of ten adults and three children, along with animal bones, including boar tusks, horse teeth, and calf jawbones, likely remnants of ritual offerings. When two trees fell down in the great storms of 1987 they revealed the second, previously unknown chamber.
The barrow was first excavated in 1863 and again in 1939, after which it underwent restoration. Early digs uncovered two upright tombstones, each about 8 feet 6 inches (2.6 m) tall, with a larger third stone leaning against them, a curious arrangement reminiscent of cromlechs in Ireland and Cornwall. Some archaeologists speculate that this alignment may have had a ceremonial or sacrificial purpose.
Evidence of complex structural engineering was also discovered: a double-thickness outer wall supporting the cairn and additional cross walls to provide strength.
Despite its name, there is no historical evidence of a windmill at the site. One theory suggests the name may derive from a fusion of the Celtic word Nant (from Nantoush, meaning “diffuser of fire or light”) and the English word win, which has similar connotations—a poetic nod to the barrow’s ancient significance.
The ancient site is set on a gentle slope about a mile southwest of the village of Rodmarton. Park up on the little layby beside the lane that runs west from Rodmarton. From here, you can follow the signed footpath along the western edge of the field towards the barrow.
4.Dyrham Camp Hillfort, Gloucestershire
Dyrham Camp dates back to the Iron Age and is the traditional site of the Battle of Dyrham. The fort occupies a triangular hilltop, encircled by defensive earthworks. Its eastern edge is marked by a broad ditch, about 32.8 ft (10 m) wide, with an accompanying inner bank rising up to 13 ft (4 m) high. The interior spans roughly 1017 ft (310 m) by 751 ft (229 m), with steep southern slopes terraced for ancient farming, a striking reminder of the resourcefulness of its early inhabitants. A footpath crosses the southern edge of the site, making it a rewarding spot for walkers.
Perched on a commanding spur of the Cotswold Hills, Dyrham Camp, also known as Hinton Hillfort, is an Iron Age fortification steeped in history and speculation. Its strategic position, overlooking sweeping views towards Wales, hints at the importance this site once held—and why it is traditionally linked to one of the most pivotal battles in early English history.
This was the site of the Battle of Deorham in 577AD, where the armies of Wessex, led by Ceawlin and Cuthwine, clashed with the native Britons. The Saxons reportedly killed three British kings and captured Gloucester, Cirencester, and Bath. This victory was a turning point. It severed the cultural and linguistic ties between the Britons of Wales and those of the West Country, reshaping the map of post-Roman Britain and paving the way for Anglo-Saxon dominance. Although historians cannot confirm the exact location, Dyrham Camp remains the most likely site of this dramatic encounter.
There are truly wonderful views out over Wales from this ancient site. There is a footpath running across the Southern edge, the slopes are steep, but you’ll be able to see the ancient field system well from this point.
5. Notgrove Long Barrow, Gloucestershire
Notgrove Long Barrow is a Neolithic burial mound and consists of a large mound with a passage running through the centre and several small chambers opening off it. It’s about 150ft (46 m) long, 98 ft (30 m) wide, and 5.5 ft (1.7 m) tall.
Notgrove Long Barrow was excavation in 1881 and 1934 and is the burial place of a man and young female. These excavations found fireplaces, pottery, flints, and animal remains. The finds are now housed at the Cheltenham Museum.
There is layby nearby if you are coming by car which is right by the ancient site so won’t require any walking but if you do fancy some fresh air and a nice stroll there is a good 6.5-mile route from Notgrove through Cold Aston before joining the River Windrush and walking on into Bourton-on-the-Water, a beautiful example of a Cotswold town.
Several of our tours visit Bourton-on-the-water, making a visit to Notgrove Long Barrow easy, including our Grand Tour of the Cotswolds on Foot and our South Cotswolds Ring Walking Tour.
6. Three Shires Stones
This ancient site is home to a monument that marks the point where the three shires (Wiltshire, Gloucestershire, and Somerset) meet. It is a Neolithic burial chamber, the Three Shires Stones stand at about 6.5 ft (2 m) high and 3 ft (1 m) wide and were used as the model for the Three Farthings Stone in JRR Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings.
7. Uley Long Barrow (Hetty Pegler’s Tump), Gloucestershire
The Uley Long Barrow is a partially reconstructed Neolithic burial mound near the village of Uley in Gloucestershire. It is 120 ft (37 m) long and 10 ft (3 m) wide and overlooks the Severn Valley.
The mound was likely built before 3000 BC and it features a dry-stone revetting wall. The remains of 15 humans were found when the barrow was excavated in 1821.
The word ‘tump’ refers to a small hill or mount and gets its nickname ‘Hetty Pegler’ from the lady herself, who used to own this land in the 17th century.
This ancient site could easily be visited whilst walking the Cotswold Way Circular Walk, which starts in the village of Uley itself and heads North East to the village of Nympsfield before taking a North West course towards the Cotswold escarpment at Frocester Hill.
8. Minchinhampton and Rodborough Commons, Gloucestershire
Minchinhampton and Rodborough Commons are owned and managed by the National Trust and cover 335 hectares of grassland that are of great archaeological importance. The Iron Age tribesmen of Gloucestershire are said to have made their final stand against the Roman invasion on Minchinhampton Common, survivors eventually fled North of this now-ancient site of importance.
In the Cotswolds, history is never far beneath your feet – quite literally. From Neolithic burial chambers to Iron Age hillforts and ancient Roman sites, this landscape holds the echoes of thousands of years of human history. Whether you’re a seasoned historian, a curious walker, or simply someone with a love for timeless stories and dramatic scenery, these ancient sites offer a fascinating glimpse into Britain’s distant past.