Lea Meadows
Selected Wild Place / Other Wild Places / Public Rights of Way / VC55 boundary
From Leicester drive through Newtown Linford and turn left at the fork onto Ulverscroft Lane. The reserve entrance is down a green lane about 200m before Polly Botts Lane.
Total species seen at this site:
This 12 hectare site is a Site of Special Scientific Interest and a nature reserve owned by the Wild Trust. Lea Meadows has a history that can be traced back seven centuries and was once part of a mediaeval assart (private land taken from common land). The other part of the assart is the adjacent Lea Wood and together they form an intriguing oval shape on the map. It is mainly an undulating wildflower meadow with some marshy areas and is bisected by a stream.
The meadows contain a wide range of interesting plants, including Betony, Harebell and Devil's Bit Scabious in profusion. Common and Heath Spotted-Orchids bloom in June. The plants support many invertebrates, including Chimney Sweeper moths and the colourful hopper - Cicadellis viridis. White-clawed Crayfish and Brook Lampreys have been found in the stream.
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