This is an old industrial site, comprised of a sandy soil which is the result of the historic dumping of waste materials from the nearby steel works. It is a mosaic of wildflower-rich grassland and scrub.

Less than a mile south of Bagworth, towards Merry Lees and Desford, this 75 hectare (185 acre) Country Park has been tranformed from scarred industrial landscape of Desford Colliery into a valuable recreational resource.  Owned and managed by Leicestershire County Council Bagworth Heath Woods are made up of woodland, grassland, heathland, lakes and ponds.  There is a network of grass and surfaced paths throughout, offering relaxing walks through varied habitats and extensive views. The site is linked to Thornton and Bagworth by the circular walk around Leicestershire, the 100-mile Leicestershire Round.

This 20 hectare local nature reserve, located in the north of the borough of Hinckley and Bosworth, consists of a variety of habitats including acid grassland, which is ecologically significant at a local level. Additionally, there are a number of rocky outcrops of Markfieldite, making the hill a regionally important geological site.

The site consists of formerly improved pasture, surrounding a small hilltop plantation, dating from the late 1800's/early 1900's, and a small quarry.

Bradgate Park is Leicestershire’s most popular park. Located in Charnwood Forest just northwest of Leicester it covers 850 acres (3 km²). The River Lin runs through it, flowing into Cropston Reservoir which was constructed on part of the park. To the north-east lies Swithland Wood. The park's two well known landmarks, Old John and the war memorial, both lie close to the 200m contour. The landscape is rocky moorland with a covering of coarse grass and bracken. Several spinneys of woodland (pine and mixed deciduous) are enclosed by stone walls, and are not accessible to the public. There are a number of magnificent specimens of ancient oaks several hundreds of years old. The park is home to herds of red deer and fallow deer.

This quiet country lane offers a lovely walk into the National Forest, with rolling hills, new woodland and a historic landscape around you. The lane only offers access to a few houses but there is a very small car park at Burroughs Wood. At the end of the lane there is a tarmac cycle path that weaves its way to Thornton Reservoir. It is just possible to glimpse Bury Camp, a large Iron Age settlement, now on private land about 150 metres from the road. 

This 33 hectare site is ancient woodland and a Site of Special Scientific Interest. It stands on Keuper Marl and Boulder Clay and is one of the most floristically rich sites in the county. In the past it was a larger site standing on Carboniferous Limestone but this has since been quarried out. The woodland was clear-felled around the time of World War II but was allowed to regenerate naturally. It was donated to the Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust in 1993 by Ennstone Breedon plc. The Trust has now reinstigated coppice management in parts of the site.

Cossington Meadows covers 86 ha and is the largest of the Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust’s six nature reserves in the Soar valley. The area was quarried for gravel during the 1980s and 1990s, the pits then being filled and the area relandscaped, with several deep holes in the north of the site filling with water to form lakes. The Trust has created new wader scrapes and grazes the grassland aeas.

Croft Hill stands 128m high in a largely flat area of Leicestershire. The Hill provides a number of habitats including broad-leaved woodland, scrub land, acidic grassland and two other distinct areas of grassland. The site has been a SSSI since 1956 and forms a natural focus of the passage of spring and autumn birds.  It has a good system of paths.  For those who are not energetic enough to tale the steps to the top of the hill, there are pleasant walks on well made paths around the base.  These include boarded walks in damper areas and a jetty the protrudes out into the lake allowing a chance to look into the shallow water near the edges.  Parking is available in various places but is limited.

This large reservoir straddles the border between Leicestershire and Rutland. Access is limited but good views of the inflow end are available from the road and this is where most of the birds are. It is an excellent bird watching area and has produced a number of unusual species. The reservoir has a famous history as it was the test area for the revolutionary 'bouncing bomb' used in the Dambuster raids during World Word II. It was built between 1937 and 1940 by damming the Eye Brook and the site now covers around 200 hectares (150ha of open water).

The area around the ruins of Grace Dieu Priory are very varied and offer rich and diverse habitats for wildlife. Meadows, ponds, streams, a disused quarry and extensive woodland present a fascinating landscape which has revealed many surprising plants and animals. The area is now managed as public open space (except the old quarry) and there is no charge for entry.

The Grantham canal was built in 1797 and was closed to boat traffic in 1936. Apart from small sections it is non-navigable. It supports a variety of wildlife and particularly good for dragonflies. A Site of Special Scientific Interest is found between Harby and Redmile.

Highway Spinney is a semi-natural woodland and was designated a Site of Importance for Nature Conservation (SINC) in 1999. It lies at the edge of Leicester and is separated from its sister woodland, Meynell's Gorse, by Hinckley Road. Conservation work is undertaken by the Friends of Highway Spinney, supported by Groundwork Leicester and Leicestershire.

Ketton Quarry is an active limestone quarry, but the reserve is a long worked-out part of the site. It consists of hills, holes and a few rocky outcrops that have been colonised by a wide range of calcareous limestone plants. Parts of the site have become scrubbed over and there is a planted beech wood. The reserve is leased by the Wildlife Trust from Castle Cement and is a Site of Special Scientific Interest.

This nature reserve covers 12.6 hectares and is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). It represents an island of unimproved grassland amidst arable or improved ley grass. It has not received any artificial fertilisers or herbicides and is grazed by sheep or cattle and cut for hay.As well as the dry, unimproved grassland, the site has four field ponds several hedges. It supports a fine array of wildflowers, including orchids, with common and great crested newts in the ponds.

This small but interesting nature reserve is a former brownfield site and is trapped between the Coalville ringroad and a mineral railway line. It has a number of ponds, scrub and low fertility grassland. The largest pond was created by mining subsidence and now has a boardwalk allowing access to the water's edge.

This 141 hectare site is Leicestershire's largest semi-natural ancient woodland. It has been a Site of Special scientific Interest (SSSI) since 1956. It is managed by the Forestry Commission who are restoring the woodland to the traditional broadleaf habitat that existed centuries ago as part of the 'Ancient Woodlands Plan'. This involves removing planted conifers and allowing native trees to regenerate and eventually reintroducing coppicing.

Ratby Burroughs is in two parts: the southern part of fairly new plantations and the northern part, ancient woodlands with carpets of wood anemones and bluebells during the season. Both are part of the New National Forest.

This stretch of disused railway line runs between Ratby and Glenfield. Though the original line is broken by an industrial estate a connecting path joins up the two parts. For most of its length it runs parallel with the Rothley Brook and the section that flows under the motorway is included in this site. Much of it is shaded by overhanging trees but in places there is a grassy flora and the bordering field margins add further interest.

The best nature reserve in Leicestershire and Rutland, the Egleton site is the largest of several key wildlife sites around the reservoir. This reserve, together with the Lyndon reserve and Burley Fishponds is owned by Anglian Water and managed by the Wildlife Trust. The entire reserve area is a Site of Special Scientific Interest, a Ramsar site and a European Special Protection Area. It covers 315.6 ha.

It is particularly special for birds but the variety of habitats ensures it is also excellent habitat for a most types of wildlife. Habitats include numerous lagoons and ponds at the edge of the reservoir, traditionally managed meadows and grassland, and both new and established woodland.

A charge is made for entrance to the reserves (both Egleton and Lyndon are included on the same ticket). Access for the disabled is good, particularly at Lyndon. Dogs are not allowed.

This 60-hectare site is a former open-cast coal mine, which has been transformed with extensive tree planting and the creation of lakes, interlinked with a series of paths. There are good facilities for disabled visitors. At the centre of the site are a series of small lakes, some managed for wildlife and some for fishing. A hide overlooks one of the lakes. Large areas of conifers and mixed deciduous trees have been planted so this habitat should improve over time.

The reservoir, built around 1896, lies just south of Quorn, and is about a mile long by half a mile wide. The Great Central Railway divides the reservoir into two; the northern section is the larger. There is no access to the reservoir margins, but both sections are easily viewed from public roads.

The stewardship farm site at Ullsthorpe is a relatively undiscovered nature hot spot, perhaps because it is not easily visible from any road. The site itself is based around a raised area of disused railway track which provides easy walking, whilst other attractive short walks run off to either side into fields and more wooded areas. Because this is a stewardship farm site it is managed with wildlife in mind and the public are welcomed.

Founded in 1921 with the assistance of the Leicester Literary and Philosophical Society, the University of Leicester Botanic Garden was established on its present site in Oadby in 1947. The variety of habitats and plants make this site a magnet for a wide range of wildlife. It is particularly good for bees and other nectar-feeding insects due to the abundance of flowers, with some plants in flower virtually every month of the year. The various water features attract dragonflies and damselflies.

It comprises the grounds of four houses: Beaumont, Southmeade, The Knoll and Hastings, which were built early this century and are now used as student residences. The four once-separate gardens have been merged into a single entity, whose 16 acres of lovingly cultivated grounds and greenhouses, display a wide variety of features and environments. The formal planting centres around a restored Edwardian garden.