Evington Park
Selected Wild Place / Other Wild Places / Public Rights of Way / VC55 boundary
The main car park is off The Common near to Evington village and there are pedestrian entrances on Ethel Road and Cordery Road.
Public park (Leicester City Council)
Total species seen at this site:
Only two miles away from the City centre, Evington Park has the tranquil atmosphere of the country estate it once was. The 44 acres of parkland includes meadow areas, ponds and a wide variety of trees. The land was purchased by Leicester City Council and opened as a park in 1948. A Bioblitz was held on 25-26th May 2012 to record as many species as possible over a 24 hour period.
The park combines formal planting, tennis courts and outdoor gyms well with areas put aside for wildlife and this makes it a popular place to visit for local people.
The main nature area is located around the back the House to the north of the formal gardens where two ponds are well vegetated with marginal plants and support good populations of smooth newt and common toad. Dragonflies and damselflies are also well recorded here.
The ponds are surrounded by rough grassland and meadow which support insects and provide a good food source for foraging bats roosting in the House and mature trees. The damp areas are excellent habitat for a range of species - including the snail Hygromia cinctella which was the first recorded sighting in Leicestershire
The northern Park verge bordering Ethel Road is a Local Wildlife Site and includes many calcareous plants, including Pyramydal Orchid, Bee Orchid, Lady’s mantel, Hoary Plantain and Hoary Ragwort. There are numerous mature trees which attract birds such as Great Spotted Woodpecker and Nuthatch. The Black Mulberry at Evington Park is thought to have been planted in 1836, the year the house was built.
In 2012 a bioblitz was held at Evington Park, organised by the City Council. A report of the event and the species found can be seen here.
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