SSEN Helps Preserve Ancient Wiltshire Monument

A collaborative effort between Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN), Historic England, Wessex Archaeology, and a local landowner has resulted in the preservation of a historic monument near the Wiltshire village of Coombe Bissett.

The project involved the realignment of a section of the overhead power network that supplies homes and businesses in the Homington and Rockbourne areas. By moving the network away from the Bowl Barrow on Homington Down, SSEN ensured the protection of this ancient funerary monument while also reinforcing the power supply to approximately 330 local residents.

Bowl barrows are significant archaeological sites dating back to the Late Neolithic period to the Late Bronze Age (2400-1500 BC). They often occupy prominent locations, providing valuable insights into the beliefs, social organization, and environment of prehistoric communities.


The works undertaken by SSEN focused on relocating an old pole, supporting the overhead line between Homington and Rockbourne, to a new position outside the protected historic area. With no archaeological finds discovered during the planning stages, the new pole was safely installed to the north of the Bowl Barrow under the watchful eye of Wessex Archaeology.

John O'Reilly, SSEN's Project Planner for the works said: "This section of the overhead line was built several decades ago and didn't take into account the historic significance of the area, or the integrity of the Scheduled Monument.

"Now, through better design and planning, we have been able to work with Historic England, Wessex Archaeology and a local landowner to preserve this feature for future generations."

Kate Iles, Assistant Inspector of Ancient Monuments at Historic England said: "Thanks to the close collaboration of everyone involved, the electricity pole has now been permanently removed from the bowl barrow on Homington Down. It's great that this project has helped to restore the monument and improved the way it is experienced today."

This project is part of SSEN's ongoing commitment to respecting and protecting historical sites while ensuring essential infrastructure is in place to keep power flowing to homes and businesses through a resilient and flexible network that meets their needs now and for decades to come.