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Burrough Hill

Leicestershire, England · Atlas EN1000

Burrough Hill is a promontory fort in Somerby, Leicestershire, England.

It is recorded as extant, with a univallate rampart form, surface evidence of earthen bank and rubble, and an enclosed area of 5 hectares.

Banks or ramparts are the remains most likely to be visible.

The topographic record places it on an inland promontory and at 206 m.

The aspect is recorded as level.

Recorded land use includes pasture.

Dating evidence is recorded for 400 BC–AD 50 and AD 50–400 (Artefactual and C14). Reliability is recorded as A - High.

A scheduled monument number is recorded (1012441).

Location

Atlas number
EN1000 (1000)
Country
England
Current county or unitary authority
Leicestershire
Historic county
Leicestershire
Parish, community, or townland
Somerby
National Grid reference
SK 7608 1193
Latitude
52.70013
Longitude
-0.87542
Altitude
206 m

Form and condition

Type
promontory fort
Condition
Extant
Morphology
univallate
Complete rampart circuit
Yes
Number of ramparts
1
Number of ditches
1
Possible original entrances
1
Breaks through the ramparts
6
Enclosed area
5 ha
Enclosing works, as visible
earthen bank and rubble
Enclosing works, excavated
earthen bank and stone wall
Also recorded
guard chambers, annex, and ditches
Entrance forms
In-turned (South east)

Landscape

Topographic position
inland promontory
Aspect
level
Land use
pasture

Dating

Dating
400 BC–AD 50 and AD 50–400
Dating evidence
Artefactual and C14
Dating reliability
A - High

Interior and investigation

Interior excavation
pits, postholes, roundhouses, and roads or tracks
Finds
pottery, metal, metalworking, human bones, animal bones, lithics, and environmental material
Investigations
Geophysical Survey (2010); 1st Identified Written Reference (1501-1600); 1st Identified Map Depiction (1885-1900); Excavation (1935-1971); Excavation (2010-2014)

Identifiers

Scheduled monument number
1012441
HER
Leicestershire and Rutland MLE4058
National record
record SK 7 1 SE 4; monument 321391
Wikidata
Q5000477

Sources

References

  1. Brown, A and Simpson, D. 1968. Burrough-on-the-Hill. Leicestershire Archaeol Hist Soc Trans, 43, 61.
  2. Page, W. (ed) 1907. The Victoria history of the county of Leicester, Volume 1, 247-9.
  3. Taylor, J., Thomas, J. and Hyam, A. 2011. Burrough Hill hillfort, Burrough on the Hill. Leicestershire Archaeol Hist Soc Trans, 85, 214-8.
  4. Taylor, J., Thomas, J. and Haselgrove, C. 2012. Burrough Hill, Leicestershire: excavations at the hillfort in 1960, 1967 and 1970-71. Leicestershire Archaeol Hist Soc Trans, 86, 49-102.
  5. Thawley, J. 1972. Burrough-on-the-Hill. Leicestershire Archaeol Hist Soc Trans, 47, 67.
  6. Thomas, J., Taylor, J. and Hyam, A. 2012. Burrough Hill hillfort, Burrough on the Hill. Leicestershire Archaeol Hist Soc Trans, 86, 213-15.
  7. Thomas, J., Taylor, J. and Hyam, A. 2013. Burrough Hill hillfort, Burrough on the Hill. Leicestershire Archaeol Hist Soc Trans, 87, 245-47.
  8. Thomas, J. and Taylor, J. 2015. Burrough Hill. Signs of life in a Midlands hillfort. Current Archaeol, 301, 28-35.
  9. Thomas, S. 1960. Burrough-on-the-Hill. Leicestershire Archaeol Hist Soc Trans, 35, 51-2.
  10. University of Leicester, excavations 2010-2014: http://www2.le.ac.uk/departments/archaeology/research/projects/burrough-hill