Swanborough Tump

Swanborough Tump is a low earthen mound in Manningford parish, Wiltshire. It stands in open farmland near the River Dun. The site is listed as a scheduled monument and has been linked with a Bronze Age burial mound. A Saxon charter from 987 AD mentions a place called ‘Swanabeorh’ at this spot. Archaeologists have debated whether the mound was built for meetings rather than burials. Two summits on the tump suggest it may once have been two separate mounds. The tump was the meeting place of the ancient Swanborough Hundred. In 871 AD King Aethelred and his brother Alfred planned their campaign against the Danes here. They made a promise about inheritance that tied their families together. A stone monument and plaque now mark the spot where this agreement was made. The site also holds importance for local history beyond its prehistoric links. Visitors find a quiet grassy mound with two small peaks. The stone monument and plaque stand near the centre. The surrounding fields stretch out in all directions. The River Dun flows nearby, adding to the peaceful setting. Archaeologists Sarah Semple and Alex Langlands surveyed the earthworks in 1999 to record its shape. The tump offers a place to stand where Saxon kings once stood and where Bronze Age people may have gathered.