Martinshaw Wood
Selected Wild Place / Other Wild Places / Public Rights of Way / VC55 boundary
The main access is from Markfield Road in Ratby where there is a small car park on the edge of the village. From here a pedestrian bridge crosses the M1 into the large section of the wood. There is a good network of paths and rides and it is easy to get lost (the motorway noise is a helpful guide to find your way back). There is also an extensive option of walks from Martinshaw through the newly planted Pear Tree Wood and around the historic Ratby Burroughs area.
The number 27 Arriva bus from Leicester goes to Ratby.
Public access
Woodland Trust - Martinshaw Wood
National Forest - Martinshaw Wood
For more information on the history of Martinshaw and Ratby in general, plus a walking guide around the wood, get a copy of 'Ratby Walks in the National Forest', available from Ratby Post Office, price £5, or from Ratby Library.
Site species count:
Martinshaw Wood is an excellent site for invertebrates and fungi. It has had a troubled past but is today protected and managed by the Woodland Trust. The Wood has ancient origins and has been managed since at least the 13th century as part of the estate of Lords of the Manor of Groby. In the 19th century it was planted with North American conifers and was sold in 1925 and clear-felled for its timber. It then naturally recolonised but during the second World War was clear-felled again. It was acquired by the Forestry Commission in 1954 and planted with hardwoods and conifers, including Western Red Cedar and Western Hemlock, which are prevalent in parts today. In 1967 it was bisected by the M1 motorway. In 1985 the wood was purchased by the Woodland Trust who are gradually removing the exotic conifers and restoring the broad-leaved woodland. Martinshaw is now in two parts, divided by the M1. Both are interesting but the motorway noise is worse in the smaller western side.
Martinshaw is a great habitat for insects. The widened rides allow enough light to encourage a range of flowering plants which provide nectar sources for many species. Damselflies, hoverflies, bees and other hymenopterans are abundant in the warmer months. There is also a good variety of moths in the wood. It isn't particularly rich in bird life, though you should see the usual woodland species. Occasionally woodcock can be seen. Foxes, squirrel and badgers all live in the wood too. In Autumn, it is a very good site for fungi.
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