Meditative walk from Uley Long Barrow to Nympsfield Long Barrow | 4K | Ambient | Nature sounds

In The Lord of the Rings, the four hobbits are cornered by a barrow wight and saved by Tom Bombadil. Here JRR Tolkien was inspired by the neolithic barrows of the Cotswolds, as well as later ones made by the Saxons and Vikings. He came up with the idea of malicious, undead spirits watching over these ancient burial mounds. In this early morning walk we explore two such barrows. Starting literally inside Uley Long Barrow (also called Hetty Pegler's Tump) we hike across to Nympsfield Long Barrow. After looking at the first barrow, I head into Coaley Woods, editing out my noisy and disconcerting descent down the hillside to the Cotswold Way footpath. I then follow the path back up along the side of the hill through some beautiful woodland. Unfortunately, the trail emerges onto a crossroads where Frocester Hill Road meets the road from Stroud to Dursley. There is quite a bit of traffic noise from this point on, which hopefully isn't too off-putting. The scenery on the other hand is beautiful, taking you into Coaley Peak Nature Reserve down some hidden stairs and via a wildflower alley. Then we take in the views from Frocester Hill and Coaley Peak before crossing a field and arriving at Nympsfield Long Barrow. While the barrow at Uley is pretty much intact, the one at Nympsfield has been levelled somewhat. The mound has been dispersed and the ceiling stones removed, but the walls of the barrow and the rest of the mound remain. Both were built around 5,800 years ago and used for two centuries for the interment of people of status, presumably. I believe the mound on Selsley Common was also a barrow but it has been dug up and has caved in. That would make three barrows along the Cotswold Scarp all facing east to the rising sun with the views across the Severn Vale in the other direction. The remains of 22 people were found scattered within Uley Long Barrow when it was excavated by archaeologists. However, both barrows are peaceful, meditative places, connected with nature. It's nice to touch the ancient stones and drift back in time, which hopefully you can do with me via this walking video. Key moments 00:00 Exploring Uley Long Barrow 10:26 Down to the Cotswold Way 15:06 Quiet moment in the woodland 17:00 Hiking up the Cotswold Scarp 32:54 Into the dawn and across the road 37:00 Secret stairs down to Coaley Peak 39:30 Wildflower alley 43:43 Walking into Coaley Peak Nature Reserve 48:47 Frocester Hill view across the Severn Vale 58:31 Arrival at Nympsfield Long Barrow What is Walking the Shire? Walking the Shire shares beautiful, scenic POV walks in the countryside that inspired JRR Tolkien. But I'm not obsessed with Tolkien or the lore of Middle Earth. I just like connecting with nature in landscape so beautiful it inspired some of the world's greatest fantasy novels. I'll take you on woodland walks, explore the hillsides and waterways, and try to share some of the wonderful scenery on offer. To begin with, I'm focusing on the Cotswolds, in England, which are on my doorstep, but might venture further afield into other parts of the West Country, the Midlands and South Wales. Let me know what you think, and if there's a walk you'd like me to consider filming, let me know and I'll look into it. Hope you find the videos calming, relaxing and meditative. I've made them with that in mind. And they're all natural - no AI, no fancy editing, no music, no talking... just walking.