Wild places

Historically, this verge was part of the adjacent field used as pasture land.  However, the verge is all that now remains of the flower-rich meadow. It measures 262 metres long on the Hoby to Brooksby road with a variable width of 2-3 metres. It is essentially a bank which flattens out towards the top where a stone path runs along its length. The strip retains many species from the original meadow grassland and is one of the most flora-rich verges in Leicestershire.  It was notified as a Local Wildlife Site in September 2004.

This verge is now being managed to improve biodiversity as part of the County Council/Parish Council verges biodiversity trial. It was surveyed in July by NatureSpot but we would welcome additional wildlife records from the community, whether plants, animals or fungi.

The main part of the site is ancient woodland, with a more recent plantation to the south west. The wood is now managed by the Coalville Education Partnership, who have developed a plan to restore traditional management practices.

The wood lies to the south of Whitwick is is encircled by housing on three sides and adjacent to a quarry on the eastern boundary.

The area south east of Holwell village was originally mined for building stone. There is evidence to suggest that Brown’s Hill Quarry was in existence by 1815. Ironstone was first quarried from the area by the Stanton Ironworks company from 1879 until 1881. Mining resumed in 1918 and continued until 1933 when the company began to work the mine with galleries based on the pillar-and-stall method. Open cast working was reinstated at the quarry between 1953 and 1957 when exploitation ceased.

Owned and managed by Loughborough University, Holywell Wood is situated at the West end of the campus, and takes its name from the nearby 'holy well'. It consists of ancient woodland with a circular path running around it. 

Designated a Local Wildlife Site in 2011, the Hooby Lane Greetham verge is approximately 582 metres in length, on the southern side of the road only. The verge is roughly 3 metres wide, and the main habitats are calcareous grassland and mixed grassland.

Designated a Local Wildlife Site in 2005, the Hooby Lane Stretton verge is 230 metres in length, and up to 2.5 metres wide between the tarmac and an unkempt hedge, on the northern side of the road only. The main habitat is mesotrophic grassland, and is reported to be dominated by tall grasses but in reasonable condition.

This section of disused railway line forms part of the Ashby and Nuneaton Joint Railway line which opened in 1873 and joined Coalville to Ashby to provide a link to the smaller quarries and collieries in Coalville and the surrounding villages.  Hugglescote station served the village where it joined the Leicester to Burton line and Charnwood Forest line (to Loughborough).  The line closed to passengers in 1931 and to goods in 1965.

Hursley Park is a modern development of 50 houses set within a newly created country park. A large part of the park is designated as wildflower meadows with a sizeable sustainable urban drainage (SUD) basin in the centre of the site fed by three major channels which provide excellent wetland habitat. The boundaries comprise mature hedges with several large trees. Additional hedge and tree planting has been added around the Park.

Millennium Wood was created as a millennium project for the village on the site of a former village claypit and brickyard. A pond has been established, surrounded by mature Oak woodland. Remnant ridge and furrow grassland lies to the south of the site.

A public open space situated in Ibstock, North West Leicestershire, where wildflower meadow areas are being established and managed through the Ibstock Community Meadows Project. 

A public open space situated in Ibstock, North West Leicestershire, where wildflower meadow areas are being established and managed through the Ibstock Community Meadows Project. 

Jaguar Lount Wood is large new woodland set within the Staunton Harold Estate. Various planting schemes have been used to create areas of different character from parkland to conifer to walnut plantation. Large areas of open ground, field ponds, streams and ditches all add variety to the habitat. Mature oaks and hedgerows remain from historical farm land usage.

The Jubilee Way was opened in 1977, to mark the Queen’s Silver Jubilee. This twenty-mile walk starts farther south in Leicestershire and passes through Melton Mowbray on its way northwards to the Vale of Belvoir. It ends just east of Belvoir Castle at Woolsthorpe where it links with another long distance path - the Viking Way.