Houghton on the Hill

Houghton on the Hill sits on a ridge in east Leicestershire, a few miles outside Leicester, where Main Street climbs between stone and brick cottages and the fields drop away on either side towards the Gartree Road and the Harborough district beyond. It is recorded in the Domesday Book as 'Hohtone', held by Henry of Ferrers after Godric was dispossessed following the Conquest, and the first record of the modern spelling 'Houghton-on-the-Hill' dates from 1509. A piece of early Anglo-Saxon pottery found near St Catharine's church points to settlement here long before that.

The village today is a quiet, largely residential place rather than a tourist destination, but that is much of its appeal: a working Leicestershire village on a ridge, surrounded by open farmland, footpaths and small woods, with Leicester's shops and stations close enough for an easy day trip. St Catharine's Church is the standout landmark, with a stone inscribed with the Roman numeral MXIV (1014) set into its east wall and carved heads said to represent Henry III and Eleanor of Aquitaine, though most of the surviving fabric dates from the mid-thirteenth century onwards.

Top things to do near Houghton on the Hill

The countryside around the village rewards walkers more than it rewards sightseers, with footpaths radiating out across the ridge and down into the surrounding farmland.

• St Catharine's Church — the parish church, with its 1014 inscription stone and medieval carved heads, is the most tangible link to the village's long history.
• Ingarsby deserted medieval village — a footpath from Houghton leads across open farmland to the earthworks of Ingarsby, once a village in its own right and now one of Leicestershire's best-preserved deserted medieval settlement sites.
• Billesdon Coplow — a wooded, 625ft Iron Age hillfort a short drive south-east, and a genuine local landmark; the climb up its ramparts is short but the views across three counties on a clear day are worth it.
• Leicester city centre — with its castle gardens, cathedral, Highcross shopping centre and the King Richard III visitor centre, all within easy reach by car, bus or taxi.
• Great Central Railway — Britain's only mainline heritage steam railway, running from Loughborough to Leicester North, a straightforward drive from the village.

Getting to Houghton on the Hill

Houghton on the Hill lies just off the A47 Uppingham Road, around 6 miles east of Leicester city centre, making it an easy drive in from the M1 (via the A46 or A6) or the A1 to the east. Leicester railway station, with regular services to London St Pancras, Birmingham and the East Midlands, is about 20 minutes away by car. Local bus services connect the village to Leicester, and East Midlands Airport is roughly 45 minutes' drive north-west.

Best time to visit Houghton on the Hill

Spring and summer suit the village best, when the footpaths across the ridge and out to Ingarsby are at their driest and the hedgerows and farmland are at their greenest. Clear winter days are good for the walk up Billesdon Coplow, when the long views across the county are sharpest, though the exposed hilltop is best avoided in poor weather. Autumn brings good colour along the ridge, and as a rural village Houghton is quiet year-round rather than markedly seasonal.

Where to stay near Houghton on the Hill

The village itself has no hotels, so most visitors base themselves in Leicester, a short drive or bus ride away, where chain hotels, budget stays and a handful of boutique options cover most budgets. Market towns such as Market Harborough and Oakham, both within easy reach, offer coaching inns and guesthouses for a quieter alternative, while the surrounding countryside has farm stays and self-catering cottages dotted around the villages of the Harborough district.

Food and drink near Houghton on the Hill

The village has two pubs with genuinely different characters. The Old Black Horse Inn on Main Street is an Everards tied house with log fires in winter, a beer garden with its own pétanque pitch, views over open farmland, and a Sunday roast with at least three choices each week including beef, lamb, free-range chicken, fish and a vegetarian option. The Rose & Crown takes a different approach entirely, serving an Indo-Chinese and Indian menu of dishes such as lamb tawa, Manchurian prawns, butter chicken, crispy chilli mushrooms and bullet naans with cheese. Beyond the village, Leicester offers a much wider spread of restaurants, cafes and its famous Golden Mile of Indian restaurants along Belgrave Road.