Burrow Mump

Burrow Mump is a small hill in Somerset that overlooks Southlake Moor near the village of Burrowbridge. The hill stands where the River Tone and the old River Cary meet the River Parrett, rising above the flat Somerset Levels. A Norman motte was built on the hill in the 12th century, and a medieval church followed in the 15th century. The present ruined church dates from 1793 and has a west tower and a south porch. The site was donated to the National Trust in 1946 as a war memorial. The hill has a long history of use. Roman pottery and coins found nearby suggest trade at the river junction. A Norman castle may have stood on the hill during the Anarchy between 1135 and 1153. The church served as a sanctuary for royalist troops in 1642 and 1645 during the English Civil War. A detachment of the king’s army occupied it again in 1685 during the Monmouth Rebellion. Visitors climb a terraced path to the plateau at the top, where the ruined church stands. The view stretches across the Somerset Levels to Glastonbury Tor on clear days. The hill is part of a ley line proposed by John Michell, linking several St Michael’s churches. The National Trust maintains the site as a quiet memorial to the 11,281 Somerset men who died in the two world wars.