The Orchards, Leicester
Selected Wild Place / Other Wild Places / Public Rights of Way / VC55 boundary
Pedestrian access is from Groby Road (downhill from BP garage) or public footpath leading from the City Farm off Anstey Lane. Currently parking is limited to roadside parking in nearby streets. Bus Services to Beaumont Leys and Glenfield Hospital/Groby have bus stops nearby.
Site species count:
The site was previously orchards and allotments which were decommissioned and allowed to grow wild for some time. Since 1985 the site has been in some form of conservation management with a number of organisations taking on this role. Currently it is being managed by the City Council’s Leicester Environmental Volunteers and Parks Services.
The site is designated as a Local Nature Reserve and also a Local Wildlife Site due to the rich mosaic of woodland, scrub and grassland.
The site has relic privet hedgerows, old fruit trees and a fine display of lupins which are indicators of its former use. Some of the old hedgerows still act as boundaries to compartments and the more structured layout of the former allotments.
A good network of pathways provides access to the woodland, grassland and scrub areas. The woodland contains mixed broadleaf trees and provides valuable habitat for birds and small mammals. Some areas of grassland have reasonable diversity and scrub areas contain gorse and bracken not normally found within the city.
This site remains relatively undisturbed and is a hidden gem waiting to be explored. Generally, most species groups are under-recorded on this site.
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