Burrough Hill Iron Age Fort

In the English county of Leicestershire, Burrough Hill is an Iron Age hillfort located in Burrough on the Hill, 7 miles (11 km) south of Melton Mowbray. The site, which is perched 210 meters (690 feet) above sea level, offers expansive views of the surrounding countryside for miles in all directions. The hillfort was built in the early Iron Age, but there had been people in the area at least since the Mesolithic. The hill was used as farmland during the Middle Ages after the hillfort was destroyed. When the parish where the hill was was enclosed in the 17th century, this came to an end. Where the medieval fields were plowed can be seen by ridge and furrow traces.

The location has been the focus of archaeological investigations since the 1930s, and additional excavations under the direction of the University of Leicester started in 2010. The hillfort is preserved as a Scheduled Ancient Monument and is a part of Burrough Hill Country Park, which is accessible to the general public. "Sites like Burrough Hill were the closest thing we had to a town before towns like Leicester ever developed," says archaeologist Dr. Jeremy Taylor. Burrough Hill Iron Age Fort is one of the most beautiful historical sites in Leicestershire

Location: Burrough on the Hill, Melton Mowbray LE14 2QZ, England