University Botanic Gardens
Selected Wild Place / Other Wild Places / Public Rights of Way / VC55 boundary
The Botanic Garden is situated about three miles south-east of Leicester city centre, opposite Leicester Racecourse. The visitor entrance is on Glebe Road.
By bus: from the city centre or railway station catch an Arriva 31/31A or Arriva 80/80A and alight at Glebe Road.
By car: from M1 junction 21 follow the ring road A563 to its junction with the A6 at Oadby. The Botanic Garden backs on to the roundabout at this junction. Turn left, then immediately right, into Glebe Road. If you are using a satnav, then the post code for the public entrance is LE2 2LD.
Entrance to the Botanic Garden is FREE. Normal opening times are:
* Monday to Friday: all year (except Christmas-New Year period), 10am-4pm
* Saturday and Sunday: from 5th February 2011 10am-4pm
Total species seen at this site:
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.
An excellent site for bees and other nectar-feeding insects. A number of interesting fungi can be found, including species that only live in greenhouse environments.
The records and images below may include those from adjacent sites if the grid reference submitted with these records overlaps the boundary of this Wild Place.
The latest images and records displayed below include those awaiting verification checks so we cannot guarantee that every identification is correct. Once accepted, the record displays a green tick.
In the Latest Records section, click on the header to sort A-Z, and again to sort Z-A. Use the header boxes to filter the list.