Burrough Hill Iron Age Fort

We often talk about Leicester’s 2000 years of history, but heading out towards East Leicestershire we find a candidate for something even older!

Found on the top of a steep sided promontory just south of Melton Mowbray, Burrough Hill was the site of an Iron Age Hill Fort and is likely to be one of the earliest settlements in the county.

Burrough Hill and its surrounds have long been a country park favourite due to the superb views from the top of the 210 metre hill and the ready-made arena at its summit.

But many people might not realise the sheer treasure trove of history beneath their feet as they stand atop the flat grassy top of the hill. This is an example of the layout and shaping of the land telling us the story. Because this is actually the best example of a univallate hillfort (surrounded by a single ditch and rampart) in Leicestershire.

Some of the earliest people to settle in Leicestershire probably lived here. Archaeologist Dr Jeremy Taylor has stated that "sites like Burrough Hill were the nearest thing we have to a town before places like Leicester ever existed".

While nothing now remains of the ancient structures, archaeological work on the site has revealed that a settlement was created here in the late Bronze or early Iron Age, around 3,000 years ago. Further digs have also revealed artefacts dating back even further, to the Mesolithic period more than 5,000 years ago.

As the Romans came to Britain, Burrough Hill saw its period of most intense activity, with artefacts including Iron Age and Roman pottery from between 100 BC and AD 50 indicating a wide range of trade links. During the Roman occupation of Britain the fort was still used, but gradually degraded until it was finally abandoned in the medieval period. The hill was then used as farmland and traces of ridge and furrow ploughing are still visible in the landscape.

Today the site welcomes visitors drawn by the beautiful countryside surroundings and serious walkers on the ‘Leicestershire Round’, a 100 mile long footpath which encircles the county. The hillfort itself is protected as a Scheduled Ancient Monument; a ‘nationally important’ historical site protected against change or damage.

You can find out more about the history and excavations on the site on the University of Leicester Archaeology Services website.