Post by Dave on Sept 13, 2010 18:08:11 GMT
Burrow Mump 5th October 2009
No I was not on holiday today, but I will be next week, but I really did enjoy my unplanned trip to a place I never knew even existed. I did all the calls I wanted to do in Weymouth, Dorchester and Yeovil and as I had nothing to do in Crewkerne or Chard, headed for the A303. Planning to turn off near Ilminster and onto the A358 and head for the M5 to get me up to Western-Super-Mare.
I heard on the radio the A303 was blocked both ways near Ilminster, but expected it to be on the other side of the Illchester roundabout, only I got that wrong and soon joined the back of a very long line of traffic, all parked up. The lorry drivers were out of their cabs; cars were turning around and heading back toward Yeovil way.
So I did as well and followed the car that had been parked in front of me, two miles later the car turned left off a roundabout and I thought he must know where he is going, so stuck behind him.
I was loving it as soon we were going through some great villages with some really great buildings and churches, the church in a place called Martock really looked wonderful.
For me there just seems something special discovering these communities where others live, places you may only ever drive through once in your whole life. After some time and changing on to a few other roads, still behind my leader, I could see we were on a road that the sign said would take me to Taunton.
That will do I thought, only then I saw a sign that showed the turning on the right off this road went to Bridgwater, well I soon had my indicator on and let my friend carry on the road to Taunton.
A road that when I looked on a map when I got home from work today I should have taken about four miles after I took this road to Bridgwater was not signed, so to be honest I was lost. But I do have a built in compass in my head and took a road that I felt was going in the right direction.
Then I saw it “Burrow Mump” and I thought I just have to try and get a picture of it on the camera on my phone, I turned a corner and knew I was just in front of it, then I saw a bit of mud that looked fine to park on. As I turned onto the mud, I could see there was a gap in the hedge and a mud floor small car park in behind.
My plan now was to just park up and take a shot of it from the bottom, but I was already an hour later than I wanted to be and thought to myself what are the chances I will ever be here again in my lifetime.
So I decided to climb the hill to the top and it was might steep I can tell you, I was blowing hard when I reached the top, but boy was it worth the effort. I was a bit concerned on the way up with all the fresh cow pats everywhere, but thankfully there was none that I could see.
Yes I’m a Devon boy and have walked in many fields with cows, but on your own you do need to be a bit weary even more so if there are any calf’s around.
A piece on Barrow Mump
Burrow Mump is one of the most distinctive features of the Somerset landscape – an unexpected natural hill, 24 metres high, which looks all the more dramatic because of the flatness of the surrounding Somerset Levels.
On the level top of the hill sit the picturesque ruins of St Michael’s church, which were in fact carefully made to look more romantic in the nineteenth century. In the twentieth century the site was given to the National Trust by Alexander Gould Barrett for use as a war memorial which seems appropriate as this is an area which seemed to attract conflict since the days when King Alfred had a base at nearby Athelney and planned his battles with the Danes. Then, during the Civil War, Royalist troops fleeing after the Battle of Langport in 1645 took refuge in the church and managed to hold out for three days as their colleagues in nearby Bridgwater surrendered to the Parliamentary troops. A lone soldier, probably killed by musket shot, is buried in the church.
There are terrific views over the surrounding countryside from the top of the hill which makes it well worth climbing – on a clear day you can see as far as the Wellington Monument and Glastonbury Tor. Yet it must be said that some of the most striking views associated with Burrow Mump are not from the top but from below, especially on a misty day when its silhouette rises hauntingly above the Levels.
