On a sunny Sunday 24 March, four members of Gloucester Vale Conservation Volunteers continued our efforts to clear the barrow from encroaching vegetation.

The barrow is probably bronze-age and had become overgrown with thorn bushes. Over the last three years, our volunteers have successively cleared the barrow itself, creating a grassy clearing that is nearly at the perimeter ditch that forms part of this ancient monument. In so doing, we have also created a glade that will fill with wildflowers in the summer and provide a valuable habitat for threatened butterflies.

We should be back next year to strim back emergent vegetation and expose some of the ditch. If you’d like to join us then do get in touch.

Making a start on the fresh vegetation that has been growing for the last year

One big heap of tangled cut material from last time’s cutting

Three-quarters of today’s team at work clearing

Big heap all gone and our sunny lunch spot

One clear barrow

Today’s team of Dave, Candy, Mike and Chris