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The name derives from
the Celtic word "Bre" meaning a hill, and an Old English word "don",
which also means a hill or fort. So this is, in effect, "Hill hill on the hill",
which is just about as redundant as Spam, spam, spam and spam. A polished stone head axe has been found nearby which dates back to the new stone age or early bronze, some 3000 years ago. The axe is now in Leicester Museum. It was fortified in Iron Age times, some three centuries BCE (before common era). It remained in use until the middle of the first century CE, as evidenced by the various pottery and tools that were discovered during excavations in 1946 and which are now in a Leicester museum. A number of sculptured stones still exist, believed to be the sole remains of a Mercian monastery that had been founded in the first century. The stones have been dated to the end of the eighth century, probably in the reign of King Offa, of Offa’s Dyke fame, when Mercia was at the peak of its political power and influence. The church which is on the site today has parts dating back to the early 12th century, mainly in the tower at the west end, with its clasping buttresses and flat intermediate buttresses. In the 13th century, a new,wide chancel was added to the east of the tower. Much of this remains today, although renewal in the 18th and 19th century has taken place. The hill of Breedon is a 122m upthrust of carboniferous limestone, rich in fossils. It contains dolomite, a yellow-pink stone, mixed in with the grey limestone, and has been stained red by surface clay, resulting in a striking appearance if approached from the north and east. A History Guide to Breedon can be obtained from the church and gives a fascinating insight into the origins of the place, from its origin 300 million years ago (how much more history do you want !) to the present day. |
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