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Telephone: +44 (0)1452 425000
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Coaley Peak Picnic SiteCoaley Peak Picnic Site is about 4 miles south west of Stroud and has 12 acres of grassland with panoramic views over the Severn Vale. On a clear day you can see over the River Severn to a backdrop of the Forest of Dean and the Welsh hills beyond. It is a good spot to have a picnic, fly a kite, or take a leisurely stroll through the adjacent Woodland Trust scarp edge beech wood. There is designated parking for people with disabilities and the picnic tables include one suitable for wheelchair users. The site has the remains of a Neolithic long barrow and adjoins the Frocester Hill National Trust local nature reserve with a topograph to point out landscape features. Facilities:
Coaley Peak was acquired by Gloucestershire County Council in 1972 for "the use and enjoyment by the public". Originally an arable field, the whole area has been re-seeded with a wild flower seed mix. The site commands superb views out across the Severn Vale and to the Forest of Dean and towards the Welsh mountains beyond. The area is bordered to the south by the Frocester Hill National Trust nature reserve, to the north east by the Woodland Trust owned Stanley Woods. Over the main road to the east is the National Trust property of Woodchester Park. The centre of the site is dominated by the Nympsfield long barrow. This neolithic burial chamber dates back to about 2900 BC. The site was excavated in 1937 and 1974 and has since been partly restored. The barrow was constructed using local limestone, which incorporated burial chambers formed by a combination of large stone slabs and dry stone walling. Remains of at least 16 skeletons were found in the chambers! The Nympsfield long barrow is just one example of a neolithic "Cotswold-Severn" chambered tomb of which nearly one hundred are known in the Cotswold region. Contact
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