Bloody Oaks Quarry
Bloody Oaks Quarry is one of the best places in Leicestershire and Rutland to enjoy a spot of wildflower hunting or butterfly watching. Most of this tiny reserve is species-rich limestone…
Nature Reserves
Visit a special wild place near you
Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust manages 35 nature reserves covering over 1,200 hectares of rich, diverse and beautiful habitats. From woodland to meadows, wetland to heaths, our nature reserves comprise some of the most important wildlife and geological sites in the counties. As well as containing varied, interesting and even rare wildlife species, our nature reserves are hugely important places for people to visit and enjoy, and appreciate outstanding wildlife. We hope you love them as much as we do.
Explore the links below to find out more.
Help us keep our nature reserves good for wildlife and good for people
- Stay on waymarked paths
- Put rubbish in bins or take it home with you
- Don't start fires or barbeques
- Be careful of nesting wildlife
- Remember nature reserves are special places for wildlife
- Please check each reserve page for individual dog policies as not all our reserves allow dogs on site. We kindly ask that dogs are kept on leads at all times to minimise any disturbance to wildlife
Thank you for helping us keep our nature reserves wild! Enjoy your visit.
Parking
We are introducing What3words to all our listed nature reserves on this page. Please note that there may be different What3words addresses for parking and the reserve entrance. Check the parking information separately from the location information on the relevant reserve page and follow any parking instructions, including parking considerately for other road users. Please note that not all of our nature reserves have car parks. We encourage the use of public transport, walking, or cycling wherever possible.
Thank you and enjoy our reserves!
Kelham Bridge Nature Reserve
This nature reserve may be relatively young, but it is already bursting with life. Just a few miles from Ibstock and Coalville, this is the ideal place to escape the area’s industrial heritage.
The site was farmed, probably for hay, with some pasture, up until the late nineteenth century, when the sewerage system for Coalville was installed and parts of the River Sence were straightened.
The site ceased to function in 1989, but was still used up until 1993, then plans started to take place to transform this area into a wildlife heaven.
In 1995 work began on the wetland areas recreating the natural meanders in the river, marking the start of this amazing transformative journey.
Nature Reserves
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Cloud Wood
Cloud Wood has long been known as one of the best sites in Leicestershire for flora, with over 220 recorded species of ferns and flowering plants recorded! Look out for some interesting and…
Coombs Meadows
Coombs Meadows (or Combs, Combes or Coombes, depending on provenance!) are a suite of grasslands overlooking the Vale of Belvoir. Take a stroll around this botanical haven this summer, and enjoy…
Cribb's Meadow
Cribb's Meadow is a small but intricate mosaic of diverse habitats, made up of grasslands, two ponds and a disused railway line, where scrub and mature trees are taking back the land. A walk…
Holwell Reserves
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,…
Ketton Quarry
Ketton Quarry is very much still a working limestone site, but parts of the area have been reclaimed by nature. Grassland, scrub and woodland are starting to creep back in, making the most of the…
Lucas' Marsh
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…
Merry's Meadows
Merry’s Meadows is one of the most diverse and flower-rich grasslands in Leicestershire and Rutland – a must visit for budding botanists, casual naturalists or anyone wanting to experience the…
Narborough Bog
Narborough Bog is a unique reserve for Leicestershire and Rutland; over 6,000 years old, this reserve is a hotbed for wildlife in suburbia, with habitats including fen meadow, wet woodland and…
Prior's Coppice
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,…