TAR BARROW, Cirencester: How to find the ancient site of a Roman ghost attack
Tar Barrow, Cirencester - an ancient burial mound with a supernatural tale to tell. Cover art own photo & Unsplash
This website uses affiliate links, meaning: at no additional cost to you, I may earn a small commission if you click on a link and make a purchase. It’s a way you can help keep this site running, so your support means the world to me! Find out more here.
Uncover the secrets of an ancient burial ground where two men were threatened by a terrifying apparition - and where to find it!
You don’t mess with the resting places of the dead, especially if you’re digging for profit.
But over 200 hundred years ago, two gravel diggers disturbed the earth around an ancient burial mound near the historic city of Cirencester in south-west England and got much more than they bargained for.
Barrows - mounds home to the supernatural
Ancient burial mounds, commonly known as barrows, have a long history dating back as far as 4000 years. For centuries, they have been the sites of religious ritual and funerary rites. So it’s no wonder that they have long been associated with supernatural occurrences and superstitions. Over the many hundreds of years that barrows have been slumbering under the cover of grass and trees all across the British and European countryside, they’ve been called the hidden dwelling places of witches and sorcerers, homes to ogres and giants, or simply what they are - the sleeping chambers of the dead. Sometimes, they were even thought to house gold and treasure, making them an enticing target for opportunists seeking a lucky fortune.
It seems that Tar Barrow was no exception. Located in the south-western county of Gloucestershire, the barrow lies just outside the town of Cirencester. This historic town dates back to Roman times when it was known as Corinium. Once the second largest and most important Roman settlement in England after London, this lovely market town is steeped in ancient history, lovely buildings and cottages in yellow brick and Cotswold stone, and quintessentially English charm characterised by beautiful parks, Victorian mansions and quaint tea houses.
Tar Barrow across the farmer’s field with a view of St. John the Baptist church
But beyond its second-century walls, Cirencester is surrounded by villages, farms and fields, and on the north-eastern outskirts, encircled by woodlands, we find Tar Barrow. Nowadays, this unassuming mound could easily be mistaken for a natural hill at the edge of a farmer’s field. But it is believed that the site once had such religious and ritual importance to the Romans, that it may have been a deciding factor on the route layouts of the Roman road system in the area. Alongside an additional temple or mausoleum to the south-west of the barrow, discovered using aerial photography and geophysical surveys, the site may have even been important enough to determine the location of Corinium/Cirencester itself.
With ancient religious links like this, you would think that folks should know better than to go excavating near such an important resting place of the dead. But in 1685, two men decided to dig a pit to collect gravel at the foot of the barrow - making a discovery that frightened them senseless.
Into the belly of the hill
The two gravel diggers, having dug themselves four yards deep at the edge of Tar Barrow, discovered a mysterious entrance into the belly of the hill. Curious, they grabbed a lantern and went inside. The first place they entered appeared to have been a large hall, and in it it, stood two long tables with benches on each side. Naturally, they couldn’t stop themselves from touching them, but as soon as they did, the relics crumbled and turned to dust.
Photo via Pexels
Proceeding deeper underground, they discovered a passage into the another room. This appeared to be a kitchen, containing pots and kettles of brass or iron, eaten through with rust. Beyond the hall they then entered a parlour, where they found richly ornate carpets and items of furniture, which also fell to pieces at their touch. At one corner of the room, there appeared to have been a staircase going upwards, but this has been covered in collapsed earth from above.
Returning back into to the hall, they found another passage which led them a square room, where they were surprised to discover beautiful images carved into the walls, which suggested that this was some place of worship and devotion. At the far end, they found several urns. Some were only filled with the ashes of the dead, but others contained coins and medals of gold, silver and brass embossed with Latin inscriptions and the heads of Roman Emperors.
As they continued to search around this mysterious room, they spotted a door. It had been heavily patched with iron, but the wood was so rotten that with only a little force it fell to pieces, revealing a shocking sight that made the men’s heart pound in their chests.
In the airless underground cavern, their eyes widened in the dark at the sight of a fully armoured man. He was dressed like a Roman General with badges of honour laid at his feet. In one hand, he had a truncheon raised and in the other, a glass lamp, burning with light before him. The men gasped in terror, believing him to be the Devil taken this shape, or a guardian spirit tasked with defending some secret treasure.
Once they had composed themselves, the lure of possible hidden riches aroused a little bravery. One of the men carefully ventured a step inside the cavern. Immediately, the ghostly figure swung around and seemed to strike at him. Filled with terror, the two men fled from the hill’s dark chambers, though they did manage to grab a few coins as they escaped.
Photo via Pexels
This account from W Budden in 1685 has been preserved in the Bodleian Library at Oxford. But the story doesn’t end there, because according to the Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard who republished the story in 1892, the men returned the next day with a well-respected Antiquarian to get some answers. They showed him the coins they’d found as evidence and together, they agreed to keep the matter secret.
All three men returned to the barrow that same night. They entered the deepest chamber and carefully approached the ghostly soldier once again, but this time, the apparition lashed out with his truncheon at them three more times. The final blow was so violent that the figure’s lamp fell and smashed, extinguishing its light.
Next, there sounded a hollow noise like a deep groan, and with their own lantern still dimly lit, the group now noticed two embalmed heads with long beards and skin like parchment on the wall. Not waiting a single moment longer, they all scurried out of the underground chambers like frightened mice. As soon as they’d escaped into daylight, the hill caved in and buried the entrance to the barrow with all its treasures and secrets inside.
Puzzling and sensational - but is it true?
Archaeologists have puzzled over this story, because although it is a pretty sensational account, it was recorded and subsequently preserved by reputable men. However, apart from a small coin and a large square stone nothing else has been found at the site, which some have blamed on botched excavations by enthusiastic amateur archaeologists.
In any case, it certainly makes a great story, doesn’t it?
The newspapers loved it enough to print it on 2 separate occasions, so who knows, maybe there is a nugget of truth in there somewhere hidden deep under the mound. We may know nothing further about the two gravel diggers and their antiquarian expert, but perhaps they took their new-found treasures, made a pretty penny and lived out their days in quiet comfort.
View of Tar Barrow from path alongside the farmer’s field
How to find Tar Barrow for yourself
Nowadays, you can still visit the barrow via a footpath off the Burford Road (A429) into Cirencester. If you’re lucky, you might be able to pull into one of the spaces at the edge of the BP petrol station.
From there, cross the road into the tree-line and follow the path leading to the other side into an open field. Here, the mound can clearly be seen in autumn and winter, and across the field you have a great view of the church of St. John the Baptist in Cirencester.
Depending on the time of year and whether the farmer’s field has any crops growing, you may be able to turn right and walk along the edge of the field until you get to the fence post, turn left and head directly to the barrow.
From the mound spring ancient trees with deep roots, and it is home to plenty of wildlife.
I suspect the only ones who really know the secrets that lie below are the critters and creatures that call the barrow their home.
