Wild places

This page enables you to search for some of the best places to see wildlife in Leicestershire and Rutland. It's not comprehensive but we will keep adding new sites as we get records and images. If you have a favourite site that you would like to see added, let us know. Did you know we can also set up Wild Place pages for private sites such as gardens, farms and company grounds?

To explore the Wild Places of Leicestershire and Rutland:

  • zoom into the map and click on any site to show its details below,
  • use the filters below to find sites in your district or parish,
  • type any part of the site name to search for a particular site.

Just click on APPLY when you have entered your selection. Alternatively you can browse the full list below.

Key: Wild Places (outlined in orange); Public Rights of Way (green); county boundaries (blue), parish boundaries (lilac)

Map Key: Wild Places (outlined in red); Public Rights of Way (green); VC55 boundary (blue)

This verge is being managed to improve biodiversity as part of the County Council/Parish Council verges biodiversity trial. It was surveyed in 2021 by NatureSpot volunteers but we would welcome additional wildlife records from the community, whether plants, animals or fungi.

This verge is being managed to improve biodiversity as part of the County Council/Parish Council verges biodiversity trial. It was surveyed in June 2021 by NatureSpot volunteers but we would welcome additional wildlife records from the community, whether plants, animals or fungi.

This verge is being managed to improve biodiversity as part of the County Council/Parish Council verges biodiversity trial. It was surveyed in 2021 by NatureSpot volunteers but we would welcome additional wildlife records from the community, whether plants, animals or fungi.

The main woodland comprises one of the best remaining examples of ash and alder woodland in Leicestershire, and is representative of ancient woodland developed on clay soils in Central and Eastern England. This area is designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). Younger woodland lies on the western edge and the large field between has now been planted as a new woodland to join the two areas.

To the east of Shenton village lies Shenton Railway Station , with an open access cutting beside the railway line. The cutting is approximately 700 metres (1 mile) in length, from the station to the canal bridge, and about 70 metres wide at its widest point.

Morley Quarry is a 3 hectare Local Nature Reserve (LNR) and a Regionally Important Geological Site (RIGS) on the southern side of Shepshed.

The site is a disused quarry home with exposed rock faces which were formed 600 million years ago.

There is a short, but at times steep, circular walk over the top of the quarry and there is also a small pond which is a breeding site for the Common Toad.

There are a number of information boards situated across the site to provide visitors with information about the age of the rocks, wild flowers and toads.

White Horse Wood is an old woodland site and appears with the same boundary line on the 1883 OS map. It has many mature trees and a beautiful display of bluebells in the Spring. There are some areas of the wood where felling has taken place and encroaching sycamore has sprung up. Open fields give pleasant views on the northern edge although an industrial estate sits close to the eastern edge. Paths can be very boggy at times.
A large new housing estate is being built on the western edge of the wood.

Shipley's Common is located on Braunston Road, between Brooke and Braunston. Designated a Local Wildlife Site in 2003, the verge is over 200m metres and is comprised mostly of mesotrophic and wet grassland, although a number of woodland species are present along the strip adjacent to the hedgerow. The most species-rich portion is the widest middle section. Towards Braunston the verge narrows and becomes increasing shaded by trees and dominated by tall, rank species, and the diversity also decreases towards the Leighfield end of the verge.

This small site is owned by the National Forest Company and has recently been planted with young trees to create a new woodland patch within the Heart of the National Forest.

This verge is being managed to improve biodiversity as part of the County Council/Parish Council verges biodiversity trial. It was surveyed in 2021 by NatureSpot volunteers but we would welcome additional wildlife records from the community, whether plants, animals or fungi.

Skeffington Wood is part of the larger Leighfield Forest Site of Special Scientific Interest and consists of broadleaved mixed woodland.

This site was established as protected green open space as part of a planning condition attached to a housing development. The work included reinstating a more natural channel for the brook which was previously culverted. The development also created grassland and some wetland by the canal.

The grounds of Snibston Discovery Park form a mini Country Park covering over 40 hectares of mixed habitats. The grounds include the former colliery spoil heap which has been reclaimed to form woodland and an open rough grassland area.

At the heart of the Country Park is the Grange Nature Reserve. Once the gardens of the Colliery Manager, it is now an important ecological site for wildlife. The Grange Nature Reserve became Leicestershire County Council’s first Local Nature Reserve in May 1993.

This mile long section covers the independent routes of the River Soar and to the east the Grand Union Canal north from Abbey Park Road (B5327) to their confluence at Belgrave Lock (left-hand image above) just south of the recently created Ellis Meadows wild place. Tow-footpaths run along the western side of both the the river and canal segments. The area between the two watercourses is known as Wolsey Island after the former hosiery factory and the skyline is dominated by the preserved Wolsey Chimney monument.

This site covers the mile long section of the River Soar from the bridge in Barrow upon Soar northwards to Pilling's Lock and weir. A footpath runs along the western bank throughout. After periods of heavy rain, especially in winter months, this route may become very muddy and at times impassable due to flooding.

This mile long stretch of the River Soar lies between the Ellis Meadows wild place and A563 Watermead Way (see centre photo above). The footpath runs along the eastern bank of the river throughout, there is marina linked to the river just south of the Birstall roundabout (a.k.a. Red Hill Circle).

This 1.5 mile stretch of the Soar-Grand Union Canal runs northwards from the Aylestone Meadows NR to Castle Gardens. and includes much of the canalised 'Mile Straight'. The modern Leicester City football ground (currently the King Power Stadium) lies on the eastern bank opposite the weir and lock at Freemens Meadow. Just to the north opposite Filbert Street (site of the former football stadium) the River Soar splits off to the west whilst the Canal  continues northwards flanked by the buildings of Leicester's De Montfort University.

This wild place covers 2 miles of the navigable waterway between Kegworth and Ratcliffe on Soar. The northern part comprises about half a mile of the Ratcliffe Cut as far as Ratcliffe Lock where it rejoins the River. After periods of heavy rain, especially in winter months, this route may become very muddy and at times impassable due to flooding. With the county boundary in the mid-stream position please ensure any records you enter refer to sightings within Leicestershire and their grid references plot within the county.

This stretch of the River Soar-Grand Union Canal extends for about a mile north from the double road bridges of the A47 (St Augustine Road) to the A6 that runs along the southwestern side of Abbey Park. Just north of the A47 the iconic Friars Mill building lies on the eastern bank before the canal and river are split with two weirs separating the unnavigable river running immediately west of the Canal. These two components then diverge and continue north east to the A6.

This wild place comprises the 3 mile passage of the Grand Union Canal through Loughborough terminating at the Lock at Bishop's Meadow. There is a surfaced towpath throughout along the eastern-northern bank. The canal initially skirts the town running northwestwards to the A60, it then turns westwards past the canalside Boat Inn public house to a T-junction. From here the main navigation continues northwards for about a mile to Bishop's Meadow Lock. The other branch of the T junction is a short spur running south to the former warehousing nearer to the town centre and adjacent to the A6.