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 site at Six Hills is owned by the Duke of Somerset and is part of a large area of common land known as Burton Common. It is a Site of Special Scientific Interest and was, until 2010, managed as a reserve by the Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust. A public footpath runs through the middle of the site. It has a mosaic of grassland, scrub and woodland - standing on poorly drained acid soil.

Abbey Park is Leicester’s premier park and lies approximately one mile north of the City centre. The River Soar divides this beautiful park into two distinct areas: to the east of the river lies the highly decorative Victorian part of the park with its evergreen shrubberies, trees, lakes and formally planted flower displays and to the west of the river lies the fascinating Abbey Grounds. Within this area are the remains of the twelfth century Leicester Abbey and the ruins of Cavendish House, a seventeenth century mansion.

An ancient woodland covering 14 ha (also known as Adder Wood) to the north of Clipsham and near to the quarry, however it was clear-felled and planted with conifers by 1960. Formerly it was a species-rich Ash-Maple wood on calcareous clay.

This area contains two very different sites, Albert Village Lake which includes a large expanse of open water excellent for a wide range of notable birds and Pick Triangle, an attractive 30 hectare young woodland. Both sites have been created on land reclaimed after coal and clay extraction.

Alistair's Wood is a mixture of new plantation, comprising mainly native broadleaf trees. It also has open meadow and grazed land. In the centre is a SSSI, designated for the acidic grassland community.

The site is a rocky hill with rough heath grassland, stone walls and rocky outcrops. It combines the former Altar Stones Country Park with the adjacent Blacksmith's Field (named after the blacksmith's shop that was located on the corner of the site.

Secondary woodland and plantation on Mercia Mudstone with bands of sandstone, covering 36 ha.

This nature area was created as part of a housing development off Cropston Road. It features trees, wildflower meadow, and a pond area, with a network of paths running through it. It has mature hedgerow running around three sides.

A small area of mature woodland.

The wood is situated along the northern shoreline of the Hambleton peninsular. This is ancient woodland but much reduced in size due to construction of Rutland Water and now only covering around 6 ha. In the Middle Ages it was part of Barnsdale deer park. The wood is of the Ash-Hazel type and lies on on Upper Lias clay.

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 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.

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.

The canal was opened in 1804 with the purpose of servicing the Leicestershire coalfield, but by the 1830s its industrial use was in decline. Originally extending as far north as Moira, the canal suffered mining subsidence resulting in the draining, in 1944 and again in 1957 and 1966, of successive lengths of the northernmost 10 km (6 miles). Much of this stretch was subsequently filled with pulverized fuel ash.

This section runs through an agricultural landscape south-west of Congerstone.

The Ashby Canal is 31 miles long and connects the former mining area of Moira to the Coventry Canal. It opened in 1804 and serviced the collieries but over many years the section north of Snarestone was affected by mining subsidence and was eventually closed to navigation. A restoration programme has recently led to a part reopening but work continues. As some of the original canal had been filled in and built over a new section is being constructed around Measham.

This section of the Ashby Canal skirts around the eastern edge of Congerstone.

The Ashby Canal is 31 miles long and connects the former mining area of Moira to the Coventry Canal. It opened in 1804 and serviced the collieries but over many years the section north of Snarestone was affected by mining subsidence and was eventually closed to navigation. A restoration programme has recently led to a part reopening but work continues. As some of the original canal had been filled in and built over a new section is being constructed around Measham.

This section of the Ashby Canal runs south from Sutton Wharf towards Dadlington.

The Ashby Canal is 31 miles long and connects the former mining area of Moira to the Coventry Canal. It opened in 1804 and serviced the collieries but over many years the section north of Snarestone was affected by mining subsidence and was eventually closed to navigation. A restoration programme has recently led to a part reopening but work continues. As some of the original canal had been filled in and built over a new section is being constructed around Measham.

This section runs through Hinckley to the county boundary.

The Ashby Canal is 31 miles long and connects the former mining area of Moira to the Coventry Canal. It opened in 1804 and serviced the collieries but over many years the section north of Snarestone was affected by mining subsidence and was eventually closed to navigation. A restoration programme has recently led to a part reopening but work continues. As some of the original canal had been filled in and built over a new section is being constructed around Measham.

This section runs from near Higham to the edge of Hinckley.

The Ashby Canal is 31 miles long and connects the former mining area of Moira to the Coventry Canal. It opened in 1804 and serviced the collieries but over many years the section north of Snarestone was affected by mining subsidence and was eventually closed to navigation. A restoration programme has recently led to a part reopening but work continues. As some of the original canal had been filled in and built over a new section is being constructed around Measham.