The Wylye Hornblower North Of Mill House

The Wylye Hornblower is a statue located north of Mill House, likely from the 18th century. This lead sculpture is about life-size and depicts a young male figure, almost nude, who is blowing a horn and is draped around the waist, symbolizing the Horn of Plenty. The statue stands on a rock on a small island in the River Wylye. The left knee is supported by a later metal bar, and it is said that the statue was re-set on its rock base in recent memory. It is reputed to have been installed in the late 18th century by the Earl of Pembroke to honor the post horn man, who drowned while saving one of the Earl's relatives from drowning when a coach overturned at the old ford during a flood. There are also claims that the statue is of Roman origin and was collected by the Earl of Pembroke during his Grand Tour of Europe, although it appears to be of 18th-century, possibly Italian, origin.