Burrough on the Hill

Burrough-on-the Hill is a small village and former civil parish, now in the parish of Somerby, in the Melton district, in the county of Leicestershire, England. It is 12 miles (19 km) north east of Leicester.^[1] The parish church is St. Mary the Virgin. Burrough Hill is an Iron Age hill fort near the village and is in an 86-acre (35 ha) country park of the same name.^[2] The hillfort stands on a promontory around 660 feet (200 m) above sea level, 7 miles (11 km) south of the modern settlement of Melton Mowbray.^[3] In 1931 the parish had a population of 214.

Burrough on the Hill
Burrough on the Hill parish church of St. Mary
Burrough on the Hill Location within Leicestershire
Civil parish	Somerby
District	Melton
Shire county	Leicestershire
Region	East Midlands
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
List of places UK England Leicestershire 52.688°N 0.882°W / 52.688; -0.882

Burrough Hill Iron Age fort

The village's name means 'fortification on the hill'. Though later forms of Old English show that it could mean 'the earthen fortification on the hill'.^[4]

On 1 April 1936 the parish was abolished and merged with Somerby.^[5]

The village shared John O' Gaunt railway station with the neighbouring village of Twyford. The station is adjacent to a 14-arch viaduct. Trains used to go north to Melton Mowbray, and south to Leicester and Market Harborough, but the line was closed in the 1960s. There is a local bus service to Melton Mowbray and Oakham.

10th Battalion, the Parachute Regiment During preparations for Operation Market Garden the 10th Battalion, the Parachute Regiment were billeted in and around Somerby before setting off to join the action the day after the outbreak of the Battle of Arnhem on 18 September 1944.

The 10th Battalion, The Parachute Regiment Memorial at Burrough on the Hill

The 10th Battalion, The Parachute Regiment Memorial at Burrough on the Hill was completed and unveiled in September 2019 by Friends of the Tenth.^[6] A memorial garden has also been created looking over and across to the valley where the battalion practised parachute drops and training exercises in 1944.^[7]

Population

Population growth in Burrough on the Hill since 1801
Year	1801	1811	1821	1831	1841	1851	1881	1891	1901	1911	1921	1931
Population	138	138	183	173	149	135	149	139	149	200	206	214
Source: A Vision of Britain through Time and the Office for National Statistics[8]

Famous Horses

British thoroughbred racehorse Burrough Hill Lad was named after Burrough on the Hill by owner Stan Riley, who was born and raised in the village. After a run of victories in 1984 including the Cheltenham Gold Cup, Hennessy Gold Cup and King George VI Chase, Burrough Hill Lad was considered one of the greatest racehorses in the history of the sport.^[9]

References

1. J.M. Lee; R.A. McKinley, eds. (1964). "Burrough on the Hill". A History of the County of Leicestershire: Volume 5: Gartree Hundred. pp. 61–68. Archived from the original on 18 October 2012. Retrieved 7 May 2012.
2. Burrough Hill, Leicestershire County Council, 3 June 2011, archived from the original on 6 June 2011, retrieved 11 July 2011
3. Taylor, Jeremy; Thomas, John (2011), Excavations at Burrough Hill, Burrough-on-the-Hill, Leicestershire: Interim Report 2010 (PDF), University of Leicester, p. 2, archived (PDF) from the original on 7 May 2012, retrieved 7 May 2012
4. "Key to English Place-names". kepn.nottingham.ac.uk. Archived from the original on 16 August 2021. Retrieved 16 August 2021.
5. "Relationships and changes Burrough on the Hill AP/CP through time". A Vision of Britain through Time. Retrieved 26 December 2022.
6. "Friends of the Tenth". Friends of the Tenth. Retrieved 28 July 2023.
7. "Friends of the Tenth". Friends of the Tenth. Retrieved 28 July 2023.
8. "Burrough on the Hill CP/AP: Historical statistics / Population". A Vision of Britain Through Time. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 7 May 2012.
9. Naden, Gavan; Riddington, Max (1 October 2014). Burrough Hill Lad - The Making of a Champion Racehorse (1st ed.). Chequered Flag Publishing. ISBN 978-0-9569460-6-5.

External links

Media related to Burrough on the Hill at Wikimedia Commons