Scattered across Britain are the ancient tombs of people that inhabited these islands more than 5,000 years ago. These tombs, known as 'barrows', were usually made of inner chambers and passages that were then covered over with sheets of rock. A distinctive mound of stone slabs, rubble and earth was then built up above these underground rooms to protect them from the weather and create a distinctive shape. These barrows have endured through the ages as mysterious landmarks from a forgotten time. Generations of storytellers have woven them into folklore and legends until it's difficult to separate the myths from the true history.
Belas Knap is a beautiful example of a "long barrow" dating from approximately 3000bc and comes complete with its own legends, myths and mysteries. Archaeological discoveries made on the site have even challenged mainstream beliefs about these Neolithic people and why they disappeared.
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What's in A Name?
The first mystery is the name of the site itself. The "Knap" part is simple enough and is old English (cnaepp) for hillcrest or hilltop which effectively describes the location of the barrow. The word "Belas" is much more intriguing. One of the records from the 1863 excavations refers to Belus as meaning beacon. However, some believe that it's a derivation of the Latin word "Bellus" meaning beautiful while others propose that is comes from "Belus" which was derived from Ba'al. There is a alternative answer which is that Belas was once two words. "Bel", from the Semitic, is often used for the word God as in Bel Marduk or Bel Zeus. it can also mean "shining" in Celtic. The second part of the name "us" is often found in Latin names and Celtic naming conventions such as Arcturus, Lucius and Bacchus (god of wine) and is used to denote a place, male gender or one-off singular. It is also occasionally linked to the word bright. As such, Belas Knap may well be linked to the worship of Belenus, or sometimes Belus, a Celtic god known as the Shining One. However, this name would almost certainly have been attached to the barrow many centuries after the people who originally built had already disappeared.
Another point that is often overlooked is that Belas Knap was also known as Bellars Knap (Journal of the Society of Antiquaries London 1864). In which case it may simply have been named after a person with the name Bellars. Interestingly, the use this name, while uncommon, is most concentrated in nearby Cambridgeshire.
FRONT OF BELAS KNAP & FALSE ENTRANCE
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OPEN TOMB & REAR OF BELAS KNAP
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Description
The mound is approximately 53.5 metres long and 19.5 metres at its widest point. The eastern side of the barrow is aligned almost perfectly with true north allowing for an error factor of less than five degrees. At the northern end is an impressive false entrance flanked by two horns and made of elaborate dry stone walls. Between the horns is a fake entrance constructed from two large upright stones and a horizontal lintel. The entrance space has been filled in with a blocking slab and smaller stones. The large blocking slab, uprights and most of the lower dry-stone walls are all from the primary construction period. However, the lintel stone is a recent addition as the original was removed and broken during the excavations of 1863 -1865.
Overall, the false portal is approximately 1.5 metre square although the entrance area itself is significantly larger. There are two chambers on the eastern side, one main chamber on the western side and a long narrow cavity running from the southern tip towards the false entrance. There is doubt as to whether the shape of this cavity is accurate and scholars believe that it was once polygonal but was reconstructed badly after the initial excavations in 1865.
It is believed that at one time the entire mound was surrounded by a dry stonewall similar in design to the forecourt and known as a revetment. Archaeologists agree that there is definite form to the structure and that it was constructed in a precise and methodical way. In 1930 Sir James Berry even proposed that there is evidence to suggest that the mound itself was once covered with a roof of stone slabs.
Belas Knap is generally accepted as an excellent example of a Cotswold-Severn Barrow all of which have similar features including their elongated trapezoidal shape. Other examples in the general area include, Wayland's Smithy (Oxfordshire), Uley Long Barrow (Gloucestershire), Nymphsfield (Gloucestershire), West Kennet Long Barrow (Wiltshire) and Stony Littleton Long Barrow (Somerset).
Excavations
1863 - 1865 Mr. Lauriston Winterbotham & Mr. Joseph C. Chamberlayne / Cham-Berlayne Esq. (Land Owner)
The first formal excavation of the barrow first took place between 1863 - 1864 and was carried out by Mr. L. Winterbotham. The work was continued in 1865 by Joseph Chamberlayne who owned the land on which the barrow was located. They initially discovered the remains of four skeletons including two skulls. The remains of five children and one adult male skull were later found behind the false entrance a further 26 skeletons were discovered in the additional chambers. Animal bones were also discovered as was a small amount of pottery. Overall the exploration was conducted in the style of the time which was far less careful and detailed than would be the standard expected by modern archaeologists. During the excavation it was also claimed that a circle of stones had been discovered within the mound along with a significant amount of ashes. It was this excavation that discovered the horns of the mound which, at some time in the past, had been filled in to conceal the false entrance.
1890 Excavation and Restoration
Sadly, the original team left the site in a state of considerable disrepair and its initial restoration was carried out by Mrs Emma Dent of Sudeley Castle. She employed a number of local men to rebuild the walls and it was during this time that Albert Potter of Winchcombe discovered a large horizontal stone supported by several uprights under which was a single skeleton that had been placed in a seated position with its elbows resting on its knees. The restoration carried out by Mrs Dent was meticulous and later archaeologists commented that it was difficult to distinguish between the original construction and the restorations.
1928 - 1930 Sir James Berry & Mr. Wilfred James Hemp
The excavation that took place between 1928 - 1930 re-examined the findings of the original study carried out in 1863. From the report written by Wilfred Hemp it's clear to see that he was deeply upset by the poor records kept by Winterbotham and Chamberlayne and refers to the tomb as having been "violated". Hemp was unable to rediscover the stone circle or the ashes. However, he did discover the true shape and contour of the barrow which contributed significantly to the quality of its final restoration. it was also during this excavation that the idea was put forward that the long barrow had actually been constructed to enclose and incorporate several pre-existing but smaller barrows from an earlier period.
BELAS KNAP - NORTHWEST CHAMBER
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BELAS KNAP- NORTHEAST CHAMBER
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The False Entrance
Another curious mystery is why the builders felt the need to create a false entrance. It should be noted that other laterally chambered Cotswold-Severn cairns also have false entrances centrally located in their forecourts but nothing as elaborate as the one at Belas Knap. Various excavations have revealed many skeletons, pottery fragments and animal bones but very little that would have been perceived as valuable even during the period that it was constructed and used. This suggests that it is unlikely that the false entrance was included as a deterrent against robbers. One theory suggests that it represented a "spirit door" through which the souls of the dead could pass into another world. It has also been suggested that this forecourt area represented a Neolithic form of alter where the dead were laid out until they had de-fleshed before their bones could then be added to other chambers. It may simply have been that from a Neolithic point of view a long barrow just wasn't worth taking seriously unless it had such a feature. A final consideration is that these tombs may once have had more elaborate tunnels like some of their counterparts but that these were removed thousands of years ago and the barrows comprehensively rebuilt. Early excavations at Bellas Knap claim to have uncovered patterns of stones within the mound but until the site is completely reopened and examined or geophysical ground-penetrating radar is perfected, Belas Knap will keep its secrets buried.
BELAS KNAP - NORTH-FACING FALSE ENTRANCE
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The Mystery Of The Skulls
Perhaps the most enduring curiosity of Belas Knap is the mystery of the round skull discovered by John Thurnam. During his time as superintendent of the Wiltshire County Lunatic Asylum Thurnam had developed a deep interest in craniology - specifically the shape and dimensions of human skulls. Over the years he had studied numerous skulls excavated from prehistoric barrows and noticed that skulls from long barrows were always elongated and that those from round-barrows were always rounded. He divided these into two types, the long skulls which appeared to be Neolithic in origin (dolichocephalic) and the round skulls (brachycephalic) which were from the bronze age. This gave rise to his well-known saying; " long barrows, long skulls; round barrows, round skulls." Regardless of some of the notorious failings of Victorian craniology his observations were correct and were independently confirmed in the 1990's by archaeologist Neil Brodie.
Amongst the 17 skulls given to John Thurman from the Belas Knap Long Barrow was a single round skull that now challenged many of the accepted beliefs pertaining to the relationship between early Neolithic people and the later bronze age "Beaker" people. Many theories were put forward ranging from the capture and execution of a prisoner to the possibility that the skull was added at a later date. However, radio carbon testing showed that the round skull was from the same time period as other elongated skulls and was almost a thousand years older than the round skulls commonly found in round bronze age barrows. The mystery remains unsolved.
Location & Access
Belas Knap is located next to Humblebee Woods at the top of the hill overlooking Corndean Hall and approximately 1.75 miles (2.8km) south of Winchcombe in Gloucestershire, England. It is 4.9 miles (7.8km) North East of the city centre of Cheltenham and the closest Google Earth reference location is Charlton Abbotts. There are two routes to access the site both of which require walking. The first is from a lay-by on the Charlton Abbots road which is just off Corndean Lane. Please note that this route involves a steep uphill climb that will take a fit person approximately 10 - 15 minutes. The second access point is directly off Corndean lane and along a level path from the road to the knap. Please note that the road, at this access point, is poor and may not be accessible for all cars.
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