Bagworth Railway Incline
Selected Wild Place / Other Wild Places / Public Rights of Way / VC55 boundary
The site forms part of a wider footpath network that links Bagworth to Thornton. On-road parking is available at Station Road, Bagworth and pedestrian access gained along Park Lane, over the main railway line (footbridge) and onto the public footpath.
Private with Public Right of Way
Total species seen at this site:
Bagworth Incline formed part of the 16-mile Leicester to Swannington railway line. This was one of the first railway lines in the country to open in 1832 and was used mainly to transport coal and other goods from the northwest Leicestershire coalfields to Leicester and a small number of passengers. It was a great engineering feat of its time, designed by Robert and George Stevenson but was used for only a comparatively short time until 1848 when it was bypassed by a new double line to the west constructed by Midland Railway which is still used today.
The Cross-keeper’s house at Bagworth Incline was demolished in 1991 and although there is no structural evidence of a railway line ever having been there, the linear route persists in the form of a grass pathway enclosed by hawthorn hedgerows and occasional mature trees.
The line provides an important corridor for wildlife seeking cover amongst the hedgerows and taller grasses whilst birds nest and the gentle buzz of insects provide an accompaniment on this pleasant walk through the reclaimed industrial landscape and farmed fields beyond.
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.