Wayland's Smithy

#302 among destinations in the United Kingdom

Archaeological site, Historic walking areas

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Photo details 1. Wikipedia / CC BY-SA 3.0 / Msemmett / URL • 2. Wikimedia Commons / Public domain / Evangeline / URL • 3. Wikimedia Commons / CC-BY-SA-3.0 / Aineolach / URL • 4. Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0 / Ethan Doyle White / URL • 5. Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0 / TristramBrelstaff / URL • 6. Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0 / Ethan Doyle White / URL • 7. Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0 / Ethan Doyle White / URL

Facts and practical information

Wayland's Smithy, nestled in the verdant landscape of Oxfordshire, United Kingdom, is a site steeped in ancient history and folklore. This Neolithic long barrow and chamber tomb, dating back to approximately 3,600 BC, is a testament to the architectural acumen and spiritual beliefs of prehistoric communities.

The site, named after Wayland, the Saxon god of metalworking, is shrouded in myth. Legend has it that a traveler leaving a horse and a coin overnight would find, by morning, the horse shod and the coin gone. This tale of the invisible smithy has enchanted visitors for generations, adding a layer of mystique to the archaeological significance of the monument.

Wayland's Smithy stands as a remarkable example of early prehistoric construction. The long barrow is flanked by sarsen stones, with a passageway leading into a burial chamber. Excavations have revealed the remains of at least 14 individuals, offering invaluable insights into the funerary rites and social structures of Neolithic Britain.

Coordinates: 51°34'0"N, 1°35'46"W

Location

EnglandUnited Kingdom

Contact

+44 370 333 1181

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Day trips

Wayland's Smithy – popular in the area (distance from the attraction)

Nearby attractions include: Uffington White Horse, Uffington Castle, Dragon Hill, Cotswold-Severn Group.

1.4 miNE
Famous hill figure and castle remains
Uffington White Horse
36 min walk • Carved into the rolling chalk hills of Oxfordshire, the Uffington White Horse is a prehistoric enigma that captivates the imagination of visitors and historians alike. This ancient hill figure, etched into the landscape over 3,000 years ago during the late Bronze Age...
1.3 miNE
Archaeological site, Forts and castles, Mysterious site
Uffington Castle
33 min walk • Uffington Castle is an early Iron Age univallate hillfort in Oxfordshire, England. It covers about 32,000 square metres and is surrounded by two earth banks separated by a ditch with an entrance in the western end.
1.5 miNE
Archaeological site, View point
Dragon Hill
39 min walk • Dragon Hill is a small hillock immediately below the Uffington White Horse on the border of the civil parishes of Uffington and Woolstone in the English county of Oxfordshire. In 1974 it was transferred from Berkshire.
~30 ftSE
Memorial
Cotswold-Severn Group, Shrivenham
1 min walk • The Cotswold-Severn Group are a series of long barrows erected in an area of western Britain during the Early Neolithic. Around 200 known examples of long barrows are known from the Cotswold-Severn region, although an unknown number of others were likely destroyed prior to being recorded.
0.9 miNE
Forts and castles
Hardwell Castle
24 min walk • Hardwell Castle or Hardwell Camp is an Iron Age valley fort in the civil parish of Compton Beauchamp in Oxfordshire.
1.3 miNE
Nature, Natural attraction, Hill
Berkshire Downs
33 min walk • The Berkshire Downs are a range of chalk downland hills in southern England, part of the North Wessex Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The Berkshire Downs are wholly within the traditional county of Berkshire, although split between the current ceremonial counties of Berkshire and Oxfordshire.