Bill Hill Ancient Monument

Bill Hill Bill Hill is a public open space with grassland at its front, crossed by busy footpath/cycleways serving the town centre. The site is located in the Easthampstead part of Bracknell and occupies the wedge of land between Downshire Way (A3095) and Rectory Lane.

Facilities and key features

Naturally wooded hillock.
A Bronze Age bowl barrow, ancient monument of considerable historic importance.
Prime habitat present is the semi-natural broad-leaved woodland covering the hillside, dominated by mature beech, with oak, and a diverse range of other native trees and shrubs in the under storey including silver birch and rowan.
Ground flora includes some patches of bluebell and other typical woodland herbs.
Dead and decaying wood provide a valuable habitat for woodpeckers and stag beetles.

Archaeological Value
At the top of the hill, on its eastern side, is a circular mound of earth, hollowed out in the centre This is the remains of a Bronze Age tumulus or round barrow, an example of a prehistoric monument that can be found all over Britain. Round barrows were used as burial mounds from the Neolithic period (c2200 BC) right through the Bronze Age (c1000 BC) and again in the Anglo Saxon period. They may cover individual or multiple burials and may also have been used for cremations.

Bill Hill has been designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument since the 1950’s, which means that it is recognised nationally as an important archaeological site and is protected by law. Before features such round barrows were given legal protection, a great many were partly or completely levelled by land use, although they can often still be detected as distinctive markings on the ground on aerial photographs. In addition, many tumuli were disturbed by the early barrow diggers of the late 18th and 19th centuries. The hollow in the top of Bill Hill barrow may well have been the result of an early unrecorded excavation of this sort.

Further information about barrow construction can be found on the English Heritage website.

How to get there
From the entrance to Bill Hill you can follow the trail up to the ancient summit where several well-used paths allow you to stroll amid the woodland and enjoy the scenery.

There is no car park from which to access Bill Hill. The best place to park is in Crowthorne Road to the north east of the mound. (Near the Green Man Pub).

There are multiple access points to the site;

Cycle paths from Crowthorne Road, Rectory Lane or Old Bracknell Lane East (via subway).
Foot paths from Crowthorne Road, Dundas Close (unsurfaced) or Rectory Lane.
Vehicular access via the cycle paths from Crowthorne Road or Rectory Lane.
Access within the site via tarmaced footpaths at the bottom of the hill and unsurfaced tracks with steps to the top of the hill. Unsurfaced informal paths criss-cross the top of the hill near the tumulus.

To plan your route by bike to Bill Hill visit National Cycle Journey Planner.