Bardon Hill
Encyclopedia
Bardon Hill is a hill in the civil parish of Bardon near Coalville
, Leicestershire
. It the highest point in Leicestershire and the National Forest
, 912 feet (278 m) above sea level
. The hill has two very distinct faces – one half preserved as a site of special scientific interest
(SSSI), the other removed by Bardon Hill Quarry. Its summit has a radio mast. The second highest hill in Leicestershire is the nearby Beacon Hill
.
"Bardon" or "Bardon Hill" was also the name of a village south-west of the actual hill. Most of the village has been demolished but the toponym
"Bardon Hill" remains in use as the postal address of the remaining local properties.
Bardon Hill has been the site of a quarry
since at least 1622. A small quarry is shown on a map of 1835, with large scale working starting in 1857. The Leicester and Swannington Railway
, opened in 1832 and taken over by the Midland Railway
in 1845, ran conveniently close to Bardon Hill. A short branch line from the quarry allowed the granite to be easily transported over the railway network. In 1877 the quarry was described as "great", and in 1890 as "much enlarged". It is currently owned by Aggregate Industries
.
, the Queen Dowager. T. R. Potter
describes the Royal scene in The History of Charnwood Forest:
and Wales
. It may be deemed one of the most extraordinary points of view in Nature." This has attracted telecommunication companies, and large transmitters and radio masts have replaced both the Summer House and Queen Adelaide’s Bower. The view is still there and on a clear day you can see the Malvern
and Shropshire Hills, summits in Derbyshire
and Lincoln Cathedral
. However the Sugar Loaf in South Wales
, sometimes cited as visible from Bardon, cannot possibly be seen, being over 90 miles (144.8 km) away.
, covering about 1200 acres (485.6 ha). Bardon Hill was within the area of the park, and also Bardon Hall (see below). It is said that the area was emparked prior to AD 1300. The line of the southerly boundary of the park runs a few metres north of the A 11 road.
There is still deer within the area of Bardon park, as well as foxes and badgers. There are several breeding pairs of buzzard and peregrine as well as raven and barn owls.
For several hundred years Bardon Hall was the home of the Hood family. In the 1830s a Mr Robert Jacomb inherited Bardon Park (which included Bardon Hill and Bardon Hall) from William Hood who was a relative of his father's first wife. Robert took the hyphenated name Jacomb-Hood.
.
The date "1877" is carved in the stonework above the door of the meetinghouse or chapel, this being the date the building was re-modelled. The basic structure of the building is regarded as dating from the 1690s.
The building was originally known as "Bardon Meetinghouse" or "Bardon Park Meetinghouse" and the congregation worshipping there would have been referred to as "Bardon Meeting". Today, the building is called Bardon Park Chapel
.
of Saint Peter
was built in 1899. It is beside the main A511 road, a short distance east of the Birch Tree public house. It had its own vicar, but is now part of an united benefice with Christ Church, Coalville and St. Michael and All Angels, Ravenstone
.
In the 19th century, before the Elementary Education Act 1870
, there was a Non-conformist "British School
" day-school in the schoolroom behind Bardon Park Chapel. This was in addition to the Sunday school which operated from 1820 onwards.
Later, a day-school was built in the row of quarryworkers' cottages near the quarry. This school subsequently moved to a new building nearby. The schoolhouse in the row of quarryworkers' cottages no longer exists. It was demolished along with the cottages. The building still stands and is used as offices and laboratory for Aggregate Industries.
of King Arthur
fame. It is known that the Britons
severely defeated an invading Anglo-Saxon
army at the Battle of Mons Badonicus
some time around the year 500. It was a major military and political event of the 5th or 6th century in Britain, but there is no certainty about its date or place.
Bede
's Ecclesiastical History of the English People names Ambrosius Aurelius, a Roman, as the man who led the Britons to victory at the battle, but by the 9th century the victory was attributed to King Arthur.
Local stories claim that Arthur watched the approach of the Saxons from the summit of the hill and that his forces then swept down the hill and massacred them. A nearby field name is still called Battle Flat
, and the legend also claims that the dead were buried at nearby Billabarrow hill.
Coalville
Coalville is a town in North West Leicestershire, England, with a population estimated in 2003 to be almost 33,000. It is situated on the A511 trunk road between Leicester and Burton upon Trent, close to junction 22 of the M1 motorway where the A511 meets the A50 between Ashby-de-la-Zouch and...
, Leicestershire
Leicestershire
Leicestershire is a landlocked county in the English Midlands. It takes its name from the heavily populated City of Leicester, traditionally its administrative centre, although the City of Leicester unitary authority is today administered separately from the rest of Leicestershire...
. It the highest point in Leicestershire and the National Forest
National Forest, England
The National Forest is one of England’s most ambitious environmental projects. Across parts of Leicestershire, Derbyshire and Staffordshire, are being transformed, blending ancient woodland with new planting to create a new national forest...
, 912 feet (278 m) above sea level
Sea level
Mean sea level is a measure of the average height of the ocean's surface ; used as a standard in reckoning land elevation...
. The hill has two very distinct faces – one half preserved as a site of special scientific interest
Site of Special Scientific Interest
A Site of Special Scientific Interest is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom. SSSIs are the basic building block of site-based nature conservation legislation and most other legal nature/geological conservation designations in Great Britain are based upon...
(SSSI), the other removed by Bardon Hill Quarry. Its summit has a radio mast. The second highest hill in Leicestershire is the nearby Beacon Hill
Beacon Hill, Leicestershire
Beacon Hill, near Loughborough, in Leicestershire, England, is a popular country park. It is one of several beacon hills in the United Kingdom.The park consists of of grassland and woodland and offers recreational walking, and some short climbs...
.
"Bardon" or "Bardon Hill" was also the name of a village south-west of the actual hill. Most of the village has been demolished but the toponym
Toponymy
Toponymy is the scientific study of place names , their origins, meanings, use and typology. The word "toponymy" is derived from the Greek words tópos and ónoma . Toponymy is itself a branch of onomastics, the study of names of all kinds...
"Bardon Hill" remains in use as the postal address of the remaining local properties.
Quarry
Quarry
A quarry is a type of open-pit mine from which rock or minerals are extracted. Quarries are generally used for extracting building materials, such as dimension stone, construction aggregate, riprap, sand, and gravel. They are often collocated with concrete and asphalt plants due to the requirement...
since at least 1622. A small quarry is shown on a map of 1835, with large scale working starting in 1857. The Leicester and Swannington Railway
Leicester and Swannington Railway
The Leicester and Swannington Railway was one of England's first railways, being opened on 17 July 1832 to bring coal from collieries in west Leicestershire to Leicester.-Overview:...
, opened in 1832 and taken over by the Midland Railway
Midland Railway
The Midland Railway was a railway company in the United Kingdom from 1844 to 1922, when it became part of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway....
in 1845, ran conveniently close to Bardon Hill. A short branch line from the quarry allowed the granite to be easily transported over the railway network. In 1877 the quarry was described as "great", and in 1890 as "much enlarged". It is currently owned by Aggregate Industries
Aggregate Industries
Aggregate Industries, a member of the Holcim Group, is an aggregates, construction and building materials group, with its base in the United Kingdom. It was listed on the London Stock Exchange until it was acquired by Holcim in 2005.-History:...
.
Royal visit
In 1840, the then deer park was chosen as a picnic spot for a visit by Queen AdelaideAdelaide of Saxe-Meiningen
Princess Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen was the queen consort of the United Kingdom and of Hanover as spouse of William IV of the United Kingdom. Adelaide, the capital city of South Australia, is named after her.-Early life:Adelaide was born on 13 August 1792 at Meiningen, Thuringia, Germany...
, the Queen Dowager. T. R. Potter
Thomas Rossell Potter
Thomas Rossell Potter was a British antiquary. He started a school in Leicestershire, but he is known for his publications about the history and geology of Leicestershire...
describes the Royal scene in The History of Charnwood Forest:
Her Majesty, in a dress of elegant simplicity suited to the occasion, supported by Earl HoweRichard Curzon-Howe, 1st Earl HoweRichard William Penn Curzon-Howe, 1st Earl Howe, GCH, PC was a British peer and courtier.Curzon was the third son of Hon...
, and her Royal sister (the Duchess of Saxe WeimarPrincess Ida of Saxe-MeiningenPrincess Ida of Saxe-Meiningen was a German princess. She was the second child and first daughter of George I, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen and Luise Eleonore of Hohenlohe-Langenburg...
) by Lord Curzon, ascended the steep with great apparent ease. On arriving at the summit, upwards of an hour was spent in the enjoyment of the wonderful prospect, of which her Majesty frequently expressed her admiration – Lord Howe pointing out the many remarkable near and distinct objects which the fineness of the day brought within the reach of view.
The Queen’s repast was laid out on the grass on the east side of the Summer House, but her Majesty, finding the sun oppressive, wished to remove to the adjoining shade – and setting the example, took up the first dish, and was followed by the rest of the party, all bearing some portion of the viands. The place selected by the Queen for the rural banquet has since been named “Adelaide's Bower.”
Summit view
The landscape was already attracting visitors before John Curtis wrote in the 1830s: he suggests that the view extends to over 5000 square miles (12,949.9 km²) or one twelfth of England and Wales. Potter also notes of the view from Bardon Hill that "it probably commands a greater extent of surface than any other point of view on the island" and that "An outline, described from the extremity of this view, would include nearly one-fourth of EnglandEngland
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
. It may be deemed one of the most extraordinary points of view in Nature." This has attracted telecommunication companies, and large transmitters and radio masts have replaced both the Summer House and Queen Adelaide’s Bower. The view is still there and on a clear day you can see the Malvern
Malvern Hills
The Malvern Hills are a range of hills in the English counties of Worcestershire, Herefordshire and a small area of northern Gloucestershire, dominating the surrounding countryside and the towns and villages of the district of Malvern...
and Shropshire Hills, summits in Derbyshire
Derbyshire
Derbyshire is a county in the East Midlands of England. A substantial portion of the Peak District National Park lies within Derbyshire. The northern part of Derbyshire overlaps with the Pennines, a famous chain of hills and mountains. The county contains within its boundary of approx...
and Lincoln Cathedral
Lincoln Cathedral
Lincoln Cathedral is a historic Anglican cathedral in Lincoln in England and seat of the Bishop of Lincoln in the Church of England. It was reputedly the tallest building in the world for 249 years . The central spire collapsed in 1549 and was not rebuilt...
. However the Sugar Loaf in South Wales
South Wales
South Wales is an area of Wales bordered by England and the Bristol Channel to the east and south, and Mid Wales and West Wales to the north and west. The most densely populated region in the south-west of the United Kingdom, it is home to around 2.1 million people and includes the capital city of...
, sometimes cited as visible from Bardon, cannot possibly be seen, being over 90 miles (144.8 km) away.
Bardon Park
Bardon Park was a medieval deer parkMedieval deer park
A medieval deer park was an enclosed area containing deer. It was bounded by a ditch and bank with a wooden park pale on top of the bank. The ditch was typically on the inside, thus allowing deer to enter the park but preventing them from leaving.-History:...
, covering about 1200 acres (485.6 ha). Bardon Hill was within the area of the park, and also Bardon Hall (see below). It is said that the area was emparked prior to AD 1300. The line of the southerly boundary of the park runs a few metres north of the A 11 road.
There is still deer within the area of Bardon park, as well as foxes and badgers. There are several breeding pairs of buzzard and peregrine as well as raven and barn owls.
Bardon Hall
The old hall was a moated house, in a shallow valley south of Bardon Hill. In the 1830s, a new hall was built half way up the hillside. The current hall is a gentleman's residence with a southerly aspect and with commanding views over the parkland. The old hall was demolished, probabaly at about the time the new hall was built, but the moat that surrounded the old hall remains. The current hall is a Grade II Listed building and it is the head office of Aggregate Industries, the owners of the Bardon Hill Quarry.For several hundred years Bardon Hall was the home of the Hood family. In the 1830s a Mr Robert Jacomb inherited Bardon Park (which included Bardon Hill and Bardon Hall) from William Hood who was a relative of his father's first wife. Robert took the hyphenated name Jacomb-Hood.
Bardon Park Chapel
In the 1690s the owner of Bardon Hill and Bardon Park, John Hood, built a Christian meeting house at the gate of the Bardon estate. This is said to be the oldest Non-conformist place of worship in Leicestershire, and indeed over a wide area of the East MidlandsEast Midlands
The East Midlands is one of the regions of England, consisting of most of the eastern half of the traditional region of the Midlands. It encompasses the combined area of Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Rutland, Northamptonshire and most of Lincolnshire...
.
The date "1877" is carved in the stonework above the door of the meetinghouse or chapel, this being the date the building was re-modelled. The basic structure of the building is regarded as dating from the 1690s.
The building was originally known as "Bardon Meetinghouse" or "Bardon Park Meetinghouse" and the congregation worshipping there would have been referred to as "Bardon Meeting". Today, the building is called Bardon Park Chapel
Bardon Park Chapel
Bardon Park Chapel is a 300 year old Christian meeting house at Bardon, Leicestershire, England. It stands back from the A511 road, between Coalville and Markfield, about west of M1 junction 22.The chapel is a Grade II Listed building...
.
Bardon village
During the 19th century a village of quarry workers' cottages was built southwest of Bardon Hill. Bardon village had the postal address "Bardon Hill". The cottages were very close to the quarry, and they were demolished in about 1988.Parish church
The Church of England parish churchChurch of England parish church
A parish church in the Church of England is the church which acts as the religious centre for the people within the smallest and most basic Church of England administrative region, known as a parish.-Parishes in England:...
of Saint Peter
Saint Peter
Saint Peter or Simon Peter was an early Christian leader, who is featured prominently in the New Testament Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles. The son of John or of Jonah and from the village of Bethsaida in the province of Galilee, his brother Andrew was also an apostle...
was built in 1899. It is beside the main A511 road, a short distance east of the Birch Tree public house. It had its own vicar, but is now part of an united benefice with Christ Church, Coalville and St. Michael and All Angels, Ravenstone
Ravenstone, Leicestershire
Ravenstone is a small rural cluster village with a population of 2149, situated just off the A511 road between Coalville and Ashby-de-la-Zouch, in North West Leicestershire, and within the National Forest, England....
.
Schools
There have been three school buildings at Bardon.In the 19th century, before the Elementary Education Act 1870
Elementary Education Act 1870
The Elementary Education Act 1870, commonly known as Forster's Education Act, set the framework for schooling of all children between ages 5 and 12 in England and Wales...
, there was a Non-conformist "British School
British and Foreign School Society
The British and Foreign School Society offers charitable aid to educational projects in the UK and around the world by funding schools, other charities and educational bodies...
" day-school in the schoolroom behind Bardon Park Chapel. This was in addition to the Sunday school which operated from 1820 onwards.
Later, a day-school was built in the row of quarryworkers' cottages near the quarry. This school subsequently moved to a new building nearby. The schoolhouse in the row of quarryworkers' cottages no longer exists. It was demolished along with the cottages. The building still stands and is used as offices and laboratory for Aggregate Industries.
King Arthur
An unlikely local legend suggests that Bardon Hill is actually the Mount BadonBattle of Mons Badonicus
The Battle of Mons Badonicus was a battle between a force of Britons and an Anglo-Saxon army, probably sometime between 490 and 517 AD. Though it is believed to have been a major political and military event, there is no certainty about its date, location or the details of the fighting...
of King Arthur
King Arthur
King Arthur is a legendary British leader of the late 5th and early 6th centuries, who, according to Medieval histories and romances, led the defence of Britain against Saxon invaders in the early 6th century. The details of Arthur's story are mainly composed of folklore and literary invention, and...
fame. It is known that the Britons
Britons (historical)
The Britons were the Celtic people culturally dominating Great Britain from the Iron Age through the Early Middle Ages. They spoke the Insular Celtic language known as British or Brythonic...
severely defeated an invading Anglo-Saxon
Anglo-Saxons
Anglo-Saxon is a term used by historians to designate the Germanic tribes who invaded and settled the south and east of Great Britain beginning in the early 5th century AD, and the period from their creation of the English nation to the Norman conquest. The Anglo-Saxon Era denotes the period of...
army at the Battle of Mons Badonicus
Battle of Mons Badonicus
The Battle of Mons Badonicus was a battle between a force of Britons and an Anglo-Saxon army, probably sometime between 490 and 517 AD. Though it is believed to have been a major political and military event, there is no certainty about its date, location or the details of the fighting...
some time around the year 500. It was a major military and political event of the 5th or 6th century in Britain, but there is no certainty about its date or place.
Bede
Bede
Bede , also referred to as Saint Bede or the Venerable Bede , was a monk at the Northumbrian monastery of Saint Peter at Monkwearmouth, today part of Sunderland, England, and of its companion monastery, Saint Paul's, in modern Jarrow , both in the Kingdom of Northumbria...
's Ecclesiastical History of the English People names Ambrosius Aurelius, a Roman, as the man who led the Britons to victory at the battle, but by the 9th century the victory was attributed to King Arthur.
Local stories claim that Arthur watched the approach of the Saxons from the summit of the hill and that his forces then swept down the hill and massacred them. A nearby field name is still called Battle Flat
Ellistown and Battleflat
Ellistown and Battleflat is a civil parish in North West Leicestershire, Leicestershire, England, just south of the unparished area of Coalville. As its name indicates, the parish includes the villages of Ellistown and Battleflat...
, and the legend also claims that the dead were buried at nearby Billabarrow hill.
See also
- Cliffe Hill Mineral RailwayCliffe Hill Mineral RailwayThe Cliffe Hill Mineral Railway was an industrial narrow gauge railway that connected the Cliffe Hill granite quarry to the nearby London Midland and Scottish Railway between Leicester and Coalville. The line opened in 1896 and operated until 1948....
- Bardon, Leicestershire
- For detailed information and history, see the book Bardon Hill by Len Noble (published in 1995). Len Noble describes his book (320 pages) as follows: "a source book being a collection of papers, anecdotes and published work concerning the ancient enclosure of Bardon Park with additional comment". ISBN 0-9525978-0-2.
- For information about 20th century life at Bardon Hill, see the book Marking Time - voices from Bardon published by Mantle Community Arts Limited. Editors Tracey Roberts and Jane Stubbs. Copyright 1995. ISBN 0-9515040-2-9
External links
- Leicester Climbs - Bardon Hill introduction
- Computer generated summit panorama Bardon Hill index
- Aggregate Industries - Bardon Hill Quarries 1858 - 1918 An Introduction Part 1
- Bardon Quarry geology
- A circular walk to Bardon Hill
- Charnwood Peaks Walk including Bardon Hill
- The Origins of Leicester – An Arthurian Association?
- 360 degree photograph from the summit of Bardon Hill
