Billa Barra Hill

The hill is thought to be named after a corruption of the word ‘barrow,’ meaning burial ground. This is reputed to be linked to stories of a Saxon battle on the surrounding land, with the dead buried on the hill. However, any physical evidence would have been destroyed at the onset of quarrying which took place until the 1950s when one of the quarries was used for landfill.

This 20-hectare site was purchased by Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council, with grant aid from the National Forest Company, and has now been transformed into a local nature reserve. The hill top has areas of gorse, acid grassland and an old conifer plantation, with broadleaved trees planted on the slope.

The pools in the abandoned quarry support a variety of species, including a rare lichen, only found at one other site in Leicestershire. Birds that can be spotted include dunnock, white throat, yellowhammer and robin. There are far-reaching views from the hill over the surrounding area.

• Information centre
• Walking trails

• Car park on Billa Barra Lane
• Local bus service