Charnwood Forest is a hilly tract in north-western Leicestershire, England, bounded by Leicester, Loughborough and Coalville. The area is undulating, rocky and picturesque, with barren areas. It also has some extensive tracts of woodland; its elevation is generally 600 feet (180 m) and upwards, the area exceeding this height being about 6,100 acres (25 km2). The highest point, Bardon Hill, is 912 feet (278 m). On its western flank lies an abandoned coalfield, with Coalville and other former mining villages, now being regenerated and replanted as part of the National Forest. The M1 motorway, between junctions 22 and 23, cuts through Charnwood Forest.
The Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust (LRWT) is one of 46 wildlife trusts across the United Kingdom. It manages nature reserves in Leicestershire and Rutland, and was founded in 1956 as the Leicestershire and Rutland Trust for Nature Conservation. As of January 2018, it has over 16,000 members, a staff of about 25 and more than 500 volunteers. It is based in Leicester, and is managed by a Council of Trustees which is elected by the members. It is a charity which covers all aspects of nature conservation, and works to protect wild places and wildlife.
Launde is a civil parish in the Harborough district of Leicestershire, bordering Rutland. The parish is the site of Launde Abbey. It gives its name to an electoral division of Leicestershire that stretches all the way from Scraptoft, Thurnby and Stoughton, near Leicester, to the border with Rutland. The civil parish population is included in the civil parish of Loddington.
Oaks in Charnwood is a hamlet of scattered houses in the English county of Leicestershire within the Charnwood Forest. Oaks in Charnwood is located in and is part of the Civil Parish of Charley in North West Leicestershire. The ecclesiastical Parish of Oaks in Charnwood extends to the north of the Charley civil parish boundary, into the Shepshed civil parish.
Bloody Oaks Quarry is a 1.3-hectare (3.2-acre) biological Site of Special Scientific Interest north-west of Great Casterton in Rutland. It is owned and managed by the Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust.
Launde Big Wood is a 41.1 hectares biological Site of Special Scientific Interest east of Leicester. It is part of Launde Woods nature reserve, which is owned by the Leicester Diocesan Board of Finance and managed by the Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust.
Prior's Coppice is a 27.4-hectare (68-acre) biological Site of Special Scientific Interest south of Oakham in Rutland. It is managed by the Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust.
Eye Brook Valley Woods is a 65.7-hectare (162-acre) biological Site of Special Scientific Interest east of Hallaton in Leicestershire. It is in three separate areas, Great Merrible Wood, which is managed by the Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust, Bolt Wood and Park Wood.
Great Merrible Wood is a 12 hectare nature reserve east of Hallaton in Leicestershire. It is owned and managed by the Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust, and is part of the Eye Brook Valley Woods Site of Special Scientific Interest.
Lucas Marsh is a 1.5 hectare Local Nature Reserve in Oadby in Leicestershire. It is part of Brock's Hill Country Park, and is owned by Oadby and Wigston Borough Council and managed by the Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust.
Wymeswold Meadows is a 4.5-hectare (11-acre) nature reserve east of Wymeswold in Leicestershire. It is owned and managed by the Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust.
Leighfield Forest SSSI is an 11.3 hectares biological Site of Special Scientific Interest east of Skeffington in Leicestershire, England. It consists of several fragments, including Tugby Wood, Loddington Reddish, Brown's Wood, Skeffington Wood and Tilton Wood, of the former medieval hunting Leighfield Forest, which straddles Leicestershire and Rutland. It is a Nature Conservation Review site, Grade II.
Breedon Cloud Wood and Quarry is a 63.3 hectares biological and geological Site of Special Scientific Interest north-east of Worthington in Leicestershire. It is a Geological Conservation Review site. An area of 33 hectares is managed as a nature reserve by the Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust.
Cossington Meadows is an 88.9 hectares nature reserve west of Cossington in Leicestershire. It is managed by the Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust.
Kelham Bridge is a 8.1 hectares nature reserve north of Ibstock in Leicestershire. It is owned and managed by the Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust.
Launde Woods is a 99 hectares nature reserve north of Launde in Leicestershire. It is owned by the Leicester Diocesan Board of Finance and leased to the Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust. The site is in two areas, Launde Big Wood, which is a Site of Special Scientific Interest, and Launde Park Wood.
Wanlip Meadows is a 16.2 hectares nature reserve south of Wanlip and north of Leicester. It is owned and managed by the Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust.
Ulverscroft Valley is a 110.8-hectare (274-acre) biological Site of Special Scientific Interest north-west of Markfield in Leicestershire. The site is in five separate blocks, and two areas are nature reserves managed by the Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust (LRWT). Lea Meadows is owned by the LRWT and it is also a scheduled monument. Part of Ulverscroft Nature Reserve is owned by the LRWT and part is owned by the National Trust and leased to the LRWT.
Rocky Plantation is a 3.4-hectare (8.4-acre) nature reserve north of Markfield in Leicestershire. It is owned by the National Trust and managed by the Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust.
