Bush Barrow

Bush Barrow is a Bronze Age burial mound that sits among several others on a slope with views across the Avon valley in Wiltshire. The earthwork displays the typical rounded dome shape of such structures, built above a central burial chamber beneath ground level.

The mound was built around 2000 BC as a burial monument for someone of status, marking the Bronze Age presence in this region. Excavations in the 1800s uncovered numerous artifacts that provided evidence of the craftsmanship and wealth of that era.

The mound and its position within a cemetery reveal how death and kinship shaped these Bronze Age communities, where the buried held valued status in life. Today, walking around the site shows how people then used such elevated places as meeting points and markers of land ownership.

The mound sits in open countryside and is best reached on foot following paths that lead through Wilsford cum Lake to the site. Visitors should prepare for changing weather and wear sturdy shoes, as the ground can become muddy and slippery after rain.

Excavations in the 1800s uncovered substantial quantities of gold items and finely worked bronze objects, marking this as the burial place of a wealthy family. These finds rank among the earliest and most valuable artifacts from that period across southern England.

Location: Wilsford cum Lake

Part of: Bowl barrow known as `Bush Barrow' and two disc barrows south east of Normanton Gorse forming part of Normanton Down round barro

Website: http://wiltshiremuseum.org.uk/galleries/index.php?Action=3&obID=89&prevID=25

GPS coordinates: 51.17200,-1.82500

Latest update: December 10, 2025 15:59