Things to do in Ashby Folville, Leicestershire

Tilton Railway Cutting is a little slice of ancient history! A real-life Jurassic world (except with no dinosaurs), this reserve is managed as much for its geology as for it’s wildlife, 200 million years of history can be seen in the exposed rock layers.

A network of scrapes and wet meadows, Wanlip is the ideal place to try your hand at birdwatching. The wetland supports a number of birds throughout the year, but the winter and spring are our favourite times to visit – wrap up warm for winter for wildfowl, and explore in summer for wading birds, which adore the muddy edges to the scrapes.

This wetland haven is worth visiting all year around, but comes alive in the winter, when rafts of ducks, like wigeon and teal, gather on the lakes, and short-eared owls hunt over the meadows. Wrap up warm enjoy a brisk winter walk to one of the best wildlife spots in the Soar Valley.

Made up of two of the most ancient woodlands in Leicestershire, stepping into Launde Woods is like stepping back in time. Oak, ash, hazel and field maple dominate Big Wood to the west, whilst Park Wood to the east was once a Forestry Commission plantation. The atmosphere is awe-inspiring, with a feeling of peace and grandeur.

This innovative reserve is part of the Soar Valley floodplain system. Originally agricultural fields, harvested for maize, grazed by cattle and used as grassland in their recent history, we are now allowing nature to take back control. This is perfect for both people and wildlife, as we hope that this floodplain reserve will help to protect the homes and livelihoods in the area, by soaking up rainwater in times of flooding. This also creates ideal conditions for plants and animals to thrive.

Enjoy a walk at Holwell Reserves, disused quarries, with a mixture of grassland, woodland and exposed rock faces create a peaceful atmosphere throughout the year. A special place for bats, wildflowers, birds and mammals, Holwell Reserves is a hidden gem in the heart of Leicestershire.

A delightful meeting of old and new, people and wildlife, Wymondham Rough is a mosaic of woodland, ponds, grassland and marshes – with a length of disused canal thrown in!

A woodland reserve teeming with wildlife and ancient atmosphere, Prior’s Coppice is a relic of the wildwood that once covered all of Leicestershire and Rutland. When you step beneath the trees, you can feel how old this remnant of woodland is. Some of the trees are several hundred years old and centuries of management have led to an ideal habitat for birds, beasts and butterflies (and botanists!).

One of the most magical things about visiting Wymeswold Meadows is the sense of seclusion you get when you step through the gates. The river is deeply cut, and, despite being so close to the road, this is the perfect spot for immersing yourself fully in the wild.

This wonderful, if tiny, wildlife haven is just a few miles from Leicester City Centre – urban nature brought to life. The diversity of habitats, including a scrubby area for nesting birds, in such a small space attracts an array of wildlife – it’s worth popping in a few times throughout the year to see what else has turned up!

Tom Long’s Nature Reserve (formally known as Tom Long’s Meadow) is a narrow corridor of land approximately 600m in length and no wider than 75m. The area is made up of mosaic of wet grassland and wet woodland habitats, perfect for amphibians, wildflowers, woodland birds, butterflies and dragonflies.