Wild places

This wildlife corridor follows the Rothley Brook flowing towards Anstey. A stream joins the Brook beside the sports ground and the land between has been planted with shrubs. It has mown paths which provide good access. The watercourse is bordered by shrubs and mature trees but has an open aspect in places, with farmland to the west and the sports fields to the east. A path through it continues along the brookside beyond the parish and under the A46 towards Anstey.

This small pond lies in the middle of housing but retains a natural character.

Goss Meadows LNR is a long narrow strip of grassland that is separated out into a number of meadows demarcated with fencing.  It was an old drovers road into the city and now forms part of the more extensive green wedge on the north-western outskirts of Leicester and stretches from the bottom of Anstey Lane to the major roundabouts at Beaumont Leys.

The green network of sites adjacent to Goss Meadows adds value with the City Farm and Gilroes Cemetery located directly adjacent to the west.

The area around the ruins of Grace Dieu Priory are very varied and offer rich and diverse habitats for wildlife. Meadows, ponds, streams, a disused quarry and extensive woodland present a fascinating landscape which has revealed many surprising plants and animals. The area is now managed as public open space (except the old quarry) and there is no charge for entry.

This central part of the Grantham Canal stretches for 5 miles from Harby eastwards through Plungar and Barkestone-le-Vale to Redmile. A Site of Special Scientific Interest covers most of this section stretching from Rectory Bridge, Harby (bridge no.44) to Redmile Mill Bridge (no.53). The Canal opened in 1797 and was closed to boat traffic in 1929. After several decades of public ownership the management of the Canal passed from British Waterways to the newly formed Canal and River Trust in 2012.

This western part of the Grantham Canal in Leics stretches 2.5 miles from the county boundary at the River Smite aqueduct north of Long Clawson, eastwards past Hose, to Harby. The Grantham Canal was built to supply coal to Grantham and runs from the River Trent in Nottingham for 33 miles to Grantham. The Canal was opened in 1797 and closed to traffic in 1929.

Forming the eastern section of the Grantham Canal in Leics this site stretches nearly 4 miles from Redmile eastwards to the county boundary south of Muston. The Canal was built to supply coal to Grantham and runs from the River Trent in Nottingham for 33 miles to Grantham. It opened in 1797 and closed to traffic in 1929.

This verge is being managed to improve biodiversity as part of the County Council/Parish Council verges biodiversity trial. It was surveyed in 2021 by NatureSpot volunteers but we would welcome additional wildlife records from the community, whether plants, animals or fungi.

The church of St Peter and St Paul lies at the southern end of the small village of Great Casterton, two and a half miles north-west of Stamford. The churchyard is an open space with few trees, and the church itself is ironstone and dates mostly from the 13th century.

Designated a Local Wildlife Site in 2006, the verge is a steep bank between the hedge at the top and the A1 sliproad into Great Casterton. The main habitat of the 0.3 hectare site is calcareous grassland. In 2009, the condition was assessed as good but declining.

At the south eastern tip of Leicestershire is the village of Great Easton set in the Welland valley and very close to the borders with Northamptonshire and Rutland. It is just south of the Eyebrook Reservoir. The earliest parts of the church date from the 13th century, and the structure probably replaced an earlier Norman church built on the site. It is built of ironstone with some grey limestone dressings. The churchyard is well-maintained, and has some mature trees along the perimeter.

This site is managed for wildlife by the Great Glen Community Wildspace group. It includes a diversity of habitats, including a reed-bed, pond, wildflower meadows, hedges and mature trees. Paths are cut through the site to provide public access. 
See: http://www.greatglenwildspace.co.uk/our-wildspaces/

Assessed in 2018 and designated a candidate Local Wildlife Site, Greetham Garage verge is located either side of the entrance to Greetham Garage, on Greetham Road by the A1. The verges are wide, flat by the road and banked up to the rear, backed by a tall Hawthorn hedge. The habitat is mostly calcareous grassland, and is species-rich, with wildflowers dominant over grasses. The site is mostly likely of recent origin due to alterations to the junction.

Designated a Local Wildlife Site in 2003, Greetham verge is located on Thistleton Lane, leading up to Cottesmore Airfield. The site is approximately 1300 metres long, and included the verges on both sides of the road. The main habitats are mesotrophic grassland, calcareous grassland, and mixed grassland.

Greetham Wood Far covers 33.6 hectaresand is planted ancient woodland on Glacial Boulder Clay and a small area of Northampton Sand ironstone.

Greetham Wood Near and Far are the woods that border the A1 near Greetham and the Ram Jam Inn. They are both coniferous plantations and have forestry tracks to walk through. These woods are an important feature in the local landscape.

These three woodlands make up an area of mixed aged trees, hedgerows, grasslands and open space.  Gresley Wood is a 42 hectare site with a history of farming and opencast mining. Tunnel Woods is community woodland and both of these sites are owned by the Forestry Commission. The neighbouring Princess Diana Wood is a developing woodland with excellent access and is owned by the National Forest Charitable Trust.