Wymondham Rough covers 12.5 ha and is owned by the Leicestershire & Rutland Wildlife Trust. Part of the reserve (the grassland) is a Site of Special Scientific Interest. The field pattern in this area dates back at least to 1652. Over the following 200 years it was modified by the construction of the Oakham Canal in 1802, the planting of oaks by John Day in about 1820, the construction of the railway in 1848 and the planting of conifers in 1860. Many of the habitats are thus relatively recent but 4 ha of the grassland is probably over three centuries old. The hedges contain some venerable ash trees and also barberry, a shrub now rare in Leicestershire. The freehold of the reserve was purchased by the Trust in 1976.

Habitats include neutral grassland, a length of disused canal, deciduous and mixed woodland, ponds, and a marshy area developing between canal and railway. The 4 ha of old grassland contain cowslip, bugle and water avens in the spring; dropwort, great burnet, betony, devil's-bit scabious and yellow rattle bloom later. The locally rare hybrid avens occur in the woodland. The nests of harvest mice have been found in the boundary hedges and common lizards may be seen alongside the railway. Barn owls and little owls have nested in a hollow oak and specially provided boxes. Butterflies are abundant in the summer especially skippers and browns, while green hairstreaks have occasionally been observed.