Swindon Mountain

by Harriet Hitchen

A mountain unexpectedly appears in the Marlborough Downs, overshadowing the city of Swindon. It arrives quietly, straddling the boundary between Oxfordshire and West Berkshire. It looks as if it has always been there.

But it hasn’t.

No one knows where it has come from.

Clare Holworth joins an archaeological investigation alongside a multi-agency team tasked with understanding and managing the site — before public pressure grows out of control and the truth is lost in the stampede for the summit.

‘The mountain appeared overnight behind that ridge. It arrived five months ago without fuss or storm or earthquake’

Science Fiction merges with archaeology in this sublime exploration of mystery, landscape and personal rediscovery

**As seen in New Scientist's 'The best new science fiction books of February 2025'**

PRAISE FOR HARRIET HITCHEN
‘Definitely left its mark on me … 5 stars’
‘Fascinating’
‘Absorbing’

131 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 20, 2025

About the author

Harriet Hitchen is a former archaeological illustrator and writer. She has a degree in Fine Art, particularly focusing on figure painting. She loves to unpick the emotional stories behind the facts of great artworks and heritage locations, trips to London and exploring rambling country houses. Her first novel nude reimagines the secret life of a forgotten Pre-Raphaelite artist. Swindon Mountain combines her passion for archaeology with Science Fiction. She lives near Cheltenham with her husband.

Reviews

[Clare Padfield · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to really like this book: its central idea being that overnight a mountain popped up out of nowhere in the Lambourn Downs near Swindon, distorting the existing geography and causing political chaos. What would happen next? I loved the central idea: I live near the area so could picture the archaeological sites, towns and villages of the area and what the impact might be of such a seismic change in local geography. However in truth the book reads more like a text book on the process of archaeological illustration (the main protagonist’s job in the book, and the author’s first career). It provides a lot of geological and archaeological detail about the features of the terrain alongside too much, for me, uninteresting detail about the internal politics of the archaeological team assigned to investigate the newly emerged mountain before the public can be let loose on it. So while I did like the fun central idea and I learnt lots about the Neolithic history of the area and its geology, hence the 3 stars, I found some of the detail in the book a bit tedious. Turns out documenting the process of archaeological illustration even on a magic mountain doesn’t make for a riveting read.

[Tabitha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Is my opinion biased because I read this on the train between Bristol and Didcot and so could compare the maps in the book with the view out the window? Maaaybe... Although I could totally see a mountain there (it would explain the terrible phone signal around Swindon station).
The first third of the book is a bit confusing to follow as it's so full of technical terms. (There is a glossary at the end, I only discovered this when I finished the book, it might have helped). The last 2 thirds pick up the pace and earned an extra star from me.
Overall I enjoyed this book, it could be a tad repetitious in places, but in fact I wish it was longer so the wider world could be fleshed out more. I will definitely pick up this author again.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars rounded up

[sheena j · Rating 3 out of 5]

i thought this would be more about how the mountain got there, rather than just archaeological information about it. not really my cup of tea.

[Amber · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not really sure what I've just read....... maybe a deep thought piece on human perception of reality?? Not really my cup of tea.