Burrough Hill, Iron Age hillfort and archaeological summit in Leicestershire, England
Burrough Hill is an Iron Age promontory fort and scheduled monument in Leicestershire, near Melton Mowbray. The fort has a trapezoidal shape and is enclosed by layered ramparts made of stone and earth.
The fort was built during the Iron Age and was most active as a settlement between around 100 BC and AD 50. Over time it declined, but it was later used for horse racing and fairs during the medieval period.
The hill served as a gathering place where the local community came together for celebrations and markets over the centuries. This tradition of assembly made it a center of social life for the surrounding area.
The site is freely accessible and can be explored on foot along paths that follow the ramparts and cross the hilltop. Sturdy footwear is a good idea since the slopes are steep and the ground can be slippery in wet weather.
Excavations at the site uncovered decorated bronze chariot fittings, which are rarely found at hillforts of this size in England. These objects point to people of high rank having lived here, making this one of the more unusual finds in the East Midlands.
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