Strange Stroud

A new monument has appeared on Selsley Common, the Spira Del Leone Aureo (Spiral of The Golden Lion). Journeying across the grassland, the first view of the structure comes from above, where it lies at the bottom of an old quarrying pit. Its sympathetic construction from stones found nearby connect it to the landscape and provide a sense of place beyond its time, a feeling it has always been present there.

The descent towards the spiral adds an element of drama and you soon find yourself enclosed in a limestone amphitheatre, the stage set for performance and ritual. Ceremonies have been held here at key points in the wheel of the year, times of transition and movement.

During a recent ritual marking Imbolc, the midpoint between the winter solstice and spring equinox, the stones were lit up as dusk fell. Those attending were invited to walk the spiral in small groups, accompanied by chanting and drumming.

The architect of the spiral is Vittoria Immortelle, a local wellbeing specialist. The vision of the shape appeared to her in a dream in the Spring of 2025 and the location on Selsley Common immediately came to mind. It was carefully sculpted over many weeks until its final form emerged.

The spiral is transected by a vertical line along the North-South orientation. Just as the planet rotates around this axis, the spiral curves itself inwards, mirroring the undulations of the River Severn in the distance. Spirals are found throughout the natural world and are considered by many to be a sacred shape, representing the movement of creation.

There is something that draws you to the site, whether you are able to feel its energy directly or not. It happens to be adjacent to another monument on the common, the Toots Long Barrow, a Bronze Age burial mound dating to 3500BC. Atop this tumulus, there are commanding views of the landscape, one that our ancestors would have also gazed upon from this position.

The people of Selsley are swift to remind visitors that their common is the only true common in Stroud. Its sisters at Minchinhampton and Rodborough, although freely accessible, are owned and managed by the National Trust. Like the common, the spiral is intended to be a resource for the whole community.

Stumbling across the structure, it looks as if it emerged from the earth itself and could disappear back beneath the soil at any time. Although a modern creation, it truly belongs to the ancient landscape it is built upon.