Belas Knap can be found at an altitue of 980 feet in the Cotswalds, not far from Cheltenham in Gloucestershire, England. It is a longbarrow of the Severn-Cotswald type, around 200 feet long with a false entrance at the North end and four burial chambers. The remains of nearly forty people were found in the excavations of 1863-65 snf 1928-30, along with other remains including part of a boar's tusk pendant. The finds are now in the Cheltenham Art Gallery and Museum.
| Visit date: | 26/06/1999 |
| Reporter: | Sam |
| Email: | sam@ravenfamily.org |
| Website: | This one |
| Purpose: | To see it |
| Time since last visit: | Not applicable |
| Spoke to Land Spirits: | Yes |
| And they said: | They were very sleepy, saying nothing. Didn't want to be bothered by conversation but were happy for us to be there. |
| Nightlight remains: | Yes |
| Candlewax: | Yes |
| Joss sticks: | Yes |
| Incense remains: | Yes |
| Fire damage: | Yes - in the larger of the Eastern chambers behind the vertical back stone, and small evidence of fire in the large Western chamber |
| Soot damage: | Yes, from the above fires and from candles burning |
| Chipped bits: | Yes - but probably old. Also a large fragment taken out of the false entrance. |
| Objects: | Yes - coins, crystals, shells |
| Flowers: | Yes - both local and hothouse. A veritable compost heap. |
| Left food: | Yes - mouldy pomegranete remains. |
| Cigarette ends: | Yes |
| Chalk marks: | N |
| Other marks: | Yes - just general graffiti |
| Ritual remains: | Yes - flowers, candles etc |
| Action taken: | Took out all the objects, flowers, etc and took it away in a plastic bag. Contacted the National Trust about the large chip. |
| Comments: | Despite having been rebuilt, there is still something there. It's a nice site, although there is only one chamber that actually gives me that zing. Photos of what we found can be seen here, here, here, here (the water bottle is ours and we took it away after clearing up) and here. We took Frood with us and he came away with us. We didn't leave him there! |
