The tomb was excavated by Thomas Bateman in 1843 and 1851 and was described by Nikolaus Pevsner as "one of the most impressive of Derbyshire's surviving prehistoric burials".

The two bowl barrows, also excavated by Bateman, date from the Bronze Age and also show signs of Roman disturbance.

Since 31 January 2007, however, concessionary access has been granted by the landowner,[citation needed] allowing the public to walk to and explore the site.

This Grade-II-listed structure, constructed from local limestone and earth in the 1820s,[3] is a pre-Victorian example of civil engineering on the grand scale.

There is access from the car park and picnic site about 200 metres (660 ft) further along the High Peak Trail at grid reference SK194581.