The Druid’s Arms

www.thisisbristol.co.uk/news/Finding-stones-near-Bristol-place-history/article … Stanton Drew stone circle may be much older than previously thought due to the discovery of new evidence by amateur archaeologists from a local society, Bath and Camerton. It seems that long before the stone circle was erected around 2500BC there was a long barrow on the site – it’s remains are now known as the Cove, three standing stones nestled at the back of the Druid’s Arms pub car park. It is just a short distance from the stone circle and reflects some sort of continuity that has continued into the modern era as the parish church now stands between the pub and the stone circle. In fact, it is thought the long barrow may actually extend into the church yard. John Oswin, a former sonar expert at Filton, took a fancy to geophysical archaeology as a retirement hobby. His machine allows him to see beneath the ground surface in a non-intrusive fashion. He says that many stone circles are built on or near long barrows. There is one at Stonehenge (but I wasn’t aware this had been confirmed). The three stones of the Cove are well known but geophysics have revealed a very large structure beneath the surface – the chamber of the former long barrow.