Breedon on the Hill

infobox UK place
country = England
latitude= 52.802
longitude= -1.399
official_name= Breedon on the Hill
map_type= Leicestershire
population= 958
shire_district= North West Leicestershire
shire_county = Leicestershire
region= East Midlands
post_town= Ashby De La Zouch
postcode_district = DE73
postcode_area= DE
dial_code= 01332
os_grid_reference= SK4022
constituency_westminster= North West Leicestershire

Breedon on the Hill is a village in North West Leicestershire, England. It is situated 2.6 miles from the market town of Melbourne and has 404 households with a population of 958 (2001 census).

Breedon is most noticeable for its carboniferous limestone hill which rises 122 m above a generally flat landscape and provides distant views across several counties. A large portion of the hill has been cut away by an active quarry operated by Ennstone Johnston.

On top of the hill is a church with a history dating back to the Middle Ages. Evidence of settlements have also been traced back to antiquity.

Surrounding villages include Calke, Isley Walton, Tonge, Wilson, and Worthington. The country houses of Staunton Harold and Calke Abbey are also nearby.

The village has major transport links being 3 miles from East Midlands Airport and 5 miles from where the A42 converges with the M1 motorway. The village is also near the River Trent, and Donington Park motor circuit.

Brief history

The name derives from the Celtic word "bre" for hill and the Anglo Saxon word "dun" for hill. Hence in its current form the name has 3 forms of the word hill. "Briudun", an early spelling, has been traced as far back to 731 A.D. and evidence of human activity on the hill dates back to at least the 1st century BC.

Breedon Priory Church

The Priory Church of St Mary and St Hardulph was originally a monastery founded in about 676 on the site of an Iron Age hill fort. It was refounded as an Augustinian priory in the early 12th century. Before becoming a monastery it was a hermitage.

What is left of the abbey church contains the largest collection, and some of the finest examples of Saxon sculptures in Great Britain, as well as a fine family pew and Renaissance church monuments.

Present day Breedon

Breedon boasts 2 public houses (the Holly Bush and Three Horseshoes), a post office shop, a small primary school, and a butchers. There was a third pub (The Lime Kiln) but this is now a private residence.

There is also an 18th century village lock-up (similar to the one in the nearby Worthington) that was used for detaining local drunks or lost cattle.

For a small village, Breedon also has a thriving football club, Breedon F.C., counting former Aston Villa trainee Jon Dixon amongst their star players.

ources

* [http://www.benefice.org.uk/breedon_church/the_breedon_story/index.php Local Church Website]
* [http://www.leics.gov.uk/index/your_council/about_leicestershire/statistics/research_info_population/parish_profiles.htm Leicestershire Census 2001]
* Mills, A.D., A Dictionary of British Place Names, Oxford University Press, 2003, ISBN-10: 0-19-852758-6