After the rolling hills of Dorset, this area of Somerset called the ‘Somerset Levels’, for obvious visual reasons, comes as quite a change. Having just gotten used to the Western country’s answer to Holland, it comes as a surprise to suddenly find a large hill rising sharply out of the surrounding landscape.
This is Burrow Mump with its ruined church sitting on the summit, looking down onto the village of Burrow Bridge below.
Conflict and Civil War
This area seems steeped in a history of conflict, with King Alfred having a presence just up the road at Athelney.
In this case, the church that sat here was used by Royalist troops as a refuge in the Civil War. This came about after they had been defeated at the nearby Battle of Langport on the 10th of July, 1645, in which a total of around 16 to 18,000 men took part. The defeated Royalist army of Lord George Goring was sent running, and some took refuge at Burrow Mump. The Parliamentarians then pursued and finally routed the Royalists on the 13th of July.
In Ruins
There were two attempts to repair the church in the 18th century, and some later work turned it into a ‘folly ruin’, which was quite fashionable in the 18th and 19th centuries.
The National Trust has owned the hill for over 50 years and is open to the public. You can climb to the top and take in the marvellous view.
Source: Follies & Monuments
