fort ▁was ▁abandoned , ▁the ▁hill ▁was ▁used ▁as ▁far ml and . ▁This ▁ended ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 7 th ▁century ▁when ▁the ▁parish ▁the ▁hill ▁was ▁in ▁was ▁en closed . ▁Tra ces ▁of ▁r idge ▁and ▁fur row ▁show ▁where ▁the ▁medieval ▁fields ▁were ▁pl ough ed . ▁Since ▁the ▁ 1 9 3 0 s ▁the ▁site ▁has ▁been ▁the ▁subject ▁of ▁arch ae ological ▁investig ations ▁and ▁renew ed ▁exc av ations ▁under ▁the ▁aus p ices ▁of ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Le ic ester ▁began ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 0 . ▁Part ▁of ▁B urr ough ▁Hill ▁Country ▁Park ▁and ▁open ▁to ▁the ▁public , ▁the ▁hill fort ▁is ▁protected ▁as ▁a ▁Sch eduled ▁An cient ▁Monument . ▁ ▁According ▁to ▁arch ae ologist ▁Dr ▁Jer emy ▁Taylor ▁" sites ▁like ▁B urr ough ▁Hill ▁were ▁the ▁nearest ▁thing ▁we ▁have ▁to ▁a ▁town ▁before ▁places ▁like ▁Le ic ester ▁ever ▁existed ". ▁ ▁Location ▁and ▁layout ▁ ▁The ▁hill fort ▁stands ▁on ▁an ▁iron stone ▁prom ont ory ▁around ▁ ▁above ▁sea ▁level , ▁ ▁south ▁of ▁the ▁modern ▁settlement ▁of ▁Mel ton ▁M ow b ray . ▁sh aped ▁during ▁pre histor ic ▁ice ▁ages . ▁The ▁bed rock ▁is ▁mar l stone , ▁lim estone ▁containing ▁iron . ▁Although ▁the ▁rock ▁contains ▁iron , ▁the ▁levels ▁are ▁low ▁and ▁little ▁attempt ▁was ▁made ▁to ▁extract ▁it . ▁The ▁iron ▁gives ▁the ▁lim estone ▁a ▁distinct ive ▁h ue , ▁r anging ▁from ▁orange ▁to