Burrough Hill - Iron Age Hillfort

The Iron Age ramparts rising from Leicestershire farmland catch you off guard - suddenly the fields drop away and you're standing on the edge of something genuinely ancient. Burrough Hill is a proper hillfort, the kind of place where you can still make out the defensive ditches and banks that would have protected Iron Age communities nearly 2,500 years ago. The views across the East Midlands are the real draw though, stretching for miles on a clear day.

It's a straightforward walk from the base to the summit, maybe 15 minutes depending on fitness. Not strenuous, but the slope is real enough to warm you up. Once you're up there, you can spend as long as you like tracing the old fortifications - the earthworks are substantial enough that you can see exactly where the ancient inhabitants would have lived and defended their territory. Kids find it less engaging than, say, a proper castle with towers to climb, but older children and history types will get proper value from it.

Free access, open year-round. Allow an hour if you're taking it seriously, 30 minutes if you just want the views and a quick poke around. Spring and early autumn are your best bets - less mud, better visibility.

Based just outside Leicester, Burrough Hill works well as a morning outing before heading back to one of the nearby caravan parks like Eye Kettleby Lakes or Greendale Farm - both within a few miles. It's the kind of spot that makes you feel like you've actually discovered something, rather than ticked off a tourist box.