The Montem Mound is a mysterious and ancient mound of earth. It lies on Montem Lane, around half a mile west of central Slough

Slough

Slough is a borough and unitary authority within the ceremonial county of Royal Berkshire, England. The town straddles the A4 Bath Road and the Great Western Main Line, west of central London...

, Berkshire

Berkshire

Berkshire is a historic county in the South of England. It is also often referred to as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of the royal residence of Windsor Castle in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1957, and...

, overlooking the Chalvey

Chalvey

Chalvey is a former village which is now a suburb of Slough in the unitary authority of Slough in Berkshire, England. It was transferred to Berkshire from Buckinghamshire in 1974....

 Brook, a minor tributary

Tributary

A tributary or affluent is a stream or river that flows into a main stem river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean...

 of the River Thames

River Thames

The River Thames flows through southern England. It is the longest river entirely in England and the second longest in the United Kingdom. While it is best known because its lower reaches flow through central London, the river flows alongside several other towns and cities, including Oxford,...

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The mound is a Scheduled Ancient Monument

Scheduled Ancient Monument

In the United Kingdom, a scheduled monument is a 'nationally important' archaeological site or historic building, given protection against unauthorized change. The various pieces of legislation used for legally protecting heritage assets from damage and destruction are grouped under the term...

. The age of the mound is a matter of debate: Slough Museum is adamant that it is a Norman

Normans

The Normans were the people who gave their name to Normandy, a region in northern France. They were descended from Norse Viking conquerors of the territory and the native population of Frankish and Gallo-Roman stock...

 Motte and Bailey outpost from Windsor

Windsor, Berkshire

Windsor is an affluent suburban town and unparished area in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead in Berkshire, England. It is widely known as the site of Windsor Castle, one of the official residences of the British Royal Family....

. Alternative theories suggest that it is a much older "moot" point - a gathering place, while parallels might perhaps be drawn with the Taplow Mound

Taplow Court

Taplow Court is a large Victorian house in the village of Taplow in Buckinghamshire, England.The Taplow burial, a 7th century Anglo-Saxon burial mound, is in the grounds of the house, near the church....

, although that lies on much higher land above the Thames. In his 1914 book 'Prehistoric London. Its Mounds and Circles' E.O. Gordon asserts that the Montem was an ancient site of druidic assembly.. .

Until 1844, Eton College

Eton College

Eton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....

 held an annual festival here, known as Eton Montem

Eton Montem

Eton Montem was a custom observed by Eton College from at least 1561 until it was finally suppressed in 1847, at the Montem Mound in Chalvey, Slough, Buckinghamshire The mound is situated some 2 miles from the college near the London to Bath coach road, now the A4.Montem is first reported in...

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