# Breedon Hill

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UK Site of Special Scientific Interest

Not to be confused with [Bredon Hill](/source/Bredon_Hill).

Breedon Hill Site of Special Scientific Interest Location of Breedon Hill. Location Leicestershire Grid reference SK 404 232[1] Interest Biological Area 5.3 hectares[1] Notification 1983[1] Location map Magic Map

**Breedon Hill** is a 5.3-hectare (13-acre) biological [Site of Special Scientific Interest](/source/Site_of_Special_Scientific_Interest) on the northern outskirts of [Breedon on the Hill](/source/Breedon_on_the_Hill) in [Leicestershire](/source/Leicestershire).[1][2]

## Geography

This is the largest area of species rich [carboniferous limestone](/source/Carboniferous_limestone) in the county. Herbs include [bulbous buttercup](/source/Bulbous_buttercup), [harebell](/source/Harebell), [burnet saxifrage](/source/Burnet_saxifrage), [musk thistle](/source/Musk_thistle) and [hairy violet](/source/Hairy_violet).[3]

The site is crossed by a footpath from the village to the church.

## Etymology

The name *Breedon* is first attested in Bede's *[Ecclesiastical History of the English People](/source/Ecclesiastical_History_of_the_English_People)* of 731, in the form *Briudun* and *Breadun*. Here the name refers to the settlement now known as *Breedon on the Hill*, but the settlement evidently took its name from the hill on which it stands, which must once simply have been called *Breedon*: the first element of the name derives from [Brittonic](/source/Brittonic_languages) **breɣ* ("hill"). This word, whose literal meaning was presumably not understood by Old English-speakers, was borrowed into [Old English](/source/Old_English) as a name for the hill, with the addition for clarification of the Old English word *dūn* (also meaning "hill"). When the word *dūn* ceased to be understood to mean "hill", and perhaps also to distinguish the hill from the settlement which took its name, the element *Hill* was added.[4][5][6]

## References

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-dsv_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-dsv_1-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-dsv_1-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-dsv_1-3) ["Designated Sites View: Breedon Hill"](https://designatedsites.naturalengland.org.uk/SiteDetail.aspx?SiteCode=S1003447&SiteName=breedon&countyCode=&responsiblePerson=&SeaArea=&IFCAArea=). Sites of Special Scientific Interest. Natural England. Retrieved 17 September 2017.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-map_2-0)** ["Map of Breedon Hill"](http://magic.defra.gov.uk/MagicMap.aspx?startTopic=Designations&activelayer=sssiIndex&query=HYPERLINK%3D%271003447%27). Sites of Special Scientific Interest. Natural England. Retrieved 17 September 2017.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** ["Breedon Hill citation"](http://www.sssi.naturalengland.org.uk/citation/citation_photo/1003447.pdf) (PDF). Sites of Special Scientific Interest. Natural England. Retrieved 17 September 2017.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** Watts, Victor, ed. (2004). *The Cambridge Dictionary of English Place-Names, Based on the Collections of the English Place-Name Society*. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [9780521168557](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9780521168557)., s.v. *Breedon on the Hill*.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** Mills, A.D. (2003). *A Dictionary of British Place Names*. London: [Oxford University Press](/source/Oxford_University_Press). [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-19-852758-6](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-19-852758-6)., s.v. *Breedon on the Hill*.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** ["Key to English Place-names"](http://kepn.nottingham.ac.uk/map/place/Leicestershire/Breedon+on+the+Hill). *kepn.nottingham.ac.uk*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20210815082547/http://kepn.nottingham.ac.uk/map/place/Leicestershire/Breedon+on+the+Hill) from the original on 15 August 2021. Retrieved 15 August 2021.

[52°48′14″N 1°24′07″W / 52.804°N 1.402°W / 52.804; -1.402](https://geohack.toolforge.org/geohack.php?pagename=Breedon_Hill&params=52.804_N_1.402_W_type:landmark_region:GB-BNE)

v t e Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Leicestershire Biological Allexton Wood Ashby Canal Bardon Hill Barrow Gravel Pits Beacon Hill, Hangingstone and Outwoods Benscliffe Wood Blackbrook Reservoir Botcheston Bog Bradgate Park and Cropston Reservoir Breedon Cloud Wood and Quarry Breedon Hill Briery Wood Heronry, Belvoir Buddon Wood and Swithland Reservoir Burbage Wood and Aston Firs Cave's Inn Pits Charnwood Lodge Chater Valley Coalville Meadows Cotes Grassland Cribb's Lodge Meadows Croft Hill Croft Pasture Croxton Park Debdale Meadow, Muston Dimminsdale Donington Park Eye Brook Reservoir Eye Brook Valley Woods Frisby Marsh Grace Dieu and High Sharpley Grantham Canal Great Bowden Borrowpit Groby Pool and Woods Harby Hill Wood Holly Rock Fields Holwell Mouth Kendall's Meadow Kilby - Foxton Canal King Lud's Entrenchments and The Drift Launde Big Wood Leighfield Forest Lockington Marshes Loughborough Meadows Lount Meadows Misterton Marshes Muston Meadows Narborough Bog Newton Burgoland Marshes Oakley Wood Owston Woods Pasture and Asplin Woods River Eye River Mease Roecliffe Manor Lawns Saddington Reservoir Sheepy Fields Sheet Hedges Wood Stanford Park Stonesby Quarry Swithland Wood and The Brand Terrace Hills Pasture Twenty Acre Piece Ulverscroft Valley Wymondham Rough Geological Bardon Hill Quarry Beacon Hill, Hangingstone and Outwoods Bradgate Park and Cropston Reservoir Breedon Cloud Wood and Quarry Buddon Wood and Swithland Reservoir Charnwood Lodge Cliffe Hill Quarry Croft and Huncote Quarry Dimminsdale Enderby Warren Quarry Gipsy Lane Pit Grace Dieu and High Sharpley Ives Head Main Quarry, Mountsorrel Newhurst Quarry One Barrow Plantation Shepshed Cutting Sproxton Quarry Tilton Cutting

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