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Burrow Mump

Grade II listed buildings in Taunton DeaneGrade II listed ruinsHills of SomersetNational Trust properties in SomersetScheduled monuments in Taunton Dene
Somerset Levels
Burrow Mump and St Micheal
Burrow Mump and St Micheal

Burrow Mump is a hill and historic site overlooking Southlake Moor in the village of Burrowbridge within the English county of Somerset. It is a scheduled monument, with a never completed church on top of the hill a Grade II listed building. The hill stands at a strategic location overlooking the point where the River Tone and the old course of the River Cary join the River Parrett. Although there is some evidence of Roman visitation, the first fortification of the site was the construction of a Norman motte. It has been called King Alfred's Fort, however there is no proof of use by Alfred the Great. A medieval church was built on the hill in the 15th century. The current ruined church on top of the hill was built in 1793. The land and ruin were donated to the National Trust in 1946 as a war memorial.

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article Burrow Mump (License: CC BY-SA 3.0, Authors, Images).

Geographical coordinates (GPS)

Latitude Longitude
N 51.0684 ° E -2.92049 °
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Address

New Road

New Road
TA7 0FB
England, United Kingdom
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Burrow Mump and St Micheal
Burrow Mump and St Micheal
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Nearby Places

River Tone
River Tone

The River Tone is a river in the English county of Somerset. The river is about 33 kilometres (21 mi) long. Its source is at Beverton Pond near Huish Champflower in the Brendon Hills, and is dammed at Clatworthy Reservoir. The reservoir outfall continues through Taunton and Curry and Hay Moors, which are designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest. Finally, it flows into the River Parrett at Burrowbridge. An act of Parliament granted in 1699 authorised work that made the river navigable as far as Taunton. The act specified that profits should be used to benefit the poor of Taunton, but the Proprietors succeeded in avoiding their obligation until 1843, when they used the proceeds from the sale of the navigation to fund a wing of the Taunton and Somerset Hospital, and to aid the Taunton Market Trust. The Bridgwater and Taunton Canal opened in 1827, which provided an easier route than the river, and protracted legal battles followed over ownership of the river and water rights for the canal. These were not finally resolved until 1832, when the Canal Company formally took over the river navigation. The ability to navigate the river gradually deteriorated, not helped by the abandonment of the River Parrett as a navigation in 1878. Following flooding in Taunton in 1960, much of the river between there and its mouth was straightened, and the navigation locks were removed. That at Ham was blown up by the Territorial Army. Navigation rights were repealed in 1967.

Southlake Moor
Southlake Moor

Southlake Moor (grid reference ST370300) is a 196.1 hectare (484.6 acre) biological Site of Special Scientific Interest near Burrow Mump and Burrowbridge in Somerset, notified in 1985. Southlake Moor forms part of the extensive grazing marsh and ditch system of Somerset Levels and Moors. Southlake Moor is unusual in that, when conditions in the River Parrett are suitable, it may be deliberately flooded in winter by means of a sluice in the river floodbank. Some 96 species of aquatic and bankside vascular plant species have been recorded from Southlake Moor, of particular interest is the greater water-parsnip (Sium latifolium). When the moor is flooded, large numbers of wildfowl may be present; with up to 22,000 wigeon (Anas penelope), 250 Bewick's swan (Cygnus bewickii) and good numbers of pochard (Aythya ferina), teal (Anas crecca) and tufted duck (Aythya fuligula). Regular signs of the otter (Lutra lutra) are to be seen on the muddy banks of the River Parrett. The ditches on the east side of the site contain a population of the palmate newt (Triturus helveticus).During 2009 and 2010 work was undertaken to upgrade sluice gates, watercourses and culverts to enable seasonal flooding during the winter diverting water from the Sowy River onto the moor. It has the capacity to hold 1.2 million cubic metres as part of a scheme by the Parrett Internal Drainage Board to restore ten floodplains in Somerset. In spring the water is drained away to enable the land to be used as pasture during the summer. The scheme is also used to encourage water birds.

Northmoor Green
Northmoor Green

Northmoor Green is a village in south central Somerset, England, that is more commonly known as Moorland, and sometimes mistakenly called Fordgate even though it is a separate hamlet. These places being hamlets of Moorland in the civil parish of North Petherton. It is the only village in the United Kingdom with two official names on an OS Map (Northmoor Green or Moorland) Set in the heart of the Somerset levels it has the River Parrett running next to it. It has fewer local amenities than it used to; the village shop, school and post office have closed leaving only a church, village hall and an out of village pub, The Thatchers Arms. The church of St Peter and St John was built in the 1840s.The Village Hall was built to celebrate the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. It was originally started by the villagers themselves, but had to be pulled down and rebuilt by professional builders, as the walls were not straight. Dances used to be held in it once a month, with refreshments provided by the local Women's Institutes. Before the hall was built, a small amateur dramatic society, The Parrett Players, produced two one-act plays which were held in the local school. The village gained nationwide recognition in February 2014 due to extensive flooding on the Somerset Levels which particularly affected Moorland, when the Environment Agency constructed an earth bank to try to hold back the water. Moorland Court Farmhouse was built in the early 19th century. It is a Grade II listed building. Winslade Farmhouse which is also listed dates from the 17th century, as does Moorland Cottage.North Moor to the south of the village is a 676.3 hectare biological Site of Special Scientific Interest. The low-lying area is drained by a series of ditches and the Northmoor Pumping Station.Serious flooding occurred during the Winter flooding of 2013–14 on the Somerset Levels. The Church of St Peter and St John was closed for two years following the flooding and reopened in January 2016.