Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust
Other classifications
GCR = Geological Conservation Review LNR = Local Nature Reserve NCR = Nature Conservation Review NNR = National Nature Reserve NT = National Trust Ramsar = Ramsar site, an internationally important wetland site SM = Scheduled Monument SPA = Special Protection Area under the European Union Directive on the Conservation of Wild Birds SSSI = Site of Special Scientific Interest

Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust

Section Title: Other classifications
Table Section Text: GCR = Geological Conservation Review LNR = Local Nature Reserve NCR = Nature Conservation Review NNR = National Nature Reserve NT = National Trust Ramsar = Ramsar site, an internationally important wetland site SM = Scheduled Monument SPA = Special Protection Area under the European Union Directive on the Conservation of Wild Birds SSSI = Site of Special Scientific Interest

Site	Photograph	Area	Location	Public access	Classifications	Description

Altar Stones	Altar Stones	3.7 hectares (9.1 acres)	Leicester 52°41′31″N 1°17′02″W / 52.692°N 1.284°W SK 485107	YES	This site has outcrops of Precambrian volcanic rocks, which have uncommon lichens growing on them. The main habitat is heath grassland, and there are the remains of drystone walls and an old mill.

Bloody Oaks Quarry	Bloody Oaks Quarry	1.3 hectares (3.2 acres)	Stamford 52°41′10″N 0°33′58″W / 52.686°N 0.566°W SK 970108	YES	SSSI	This site has species-rich grassland on Jurassic limestone. The dominant grasses are tor-grass and upright brome and flora include rock-rose, salad burnet, yellow-wort and autumn gentian.

Charley Woods	Charley Woods	26.8 hectares (66 acres)	Loughborough 52°43′44″N 1°17′49″W / 52.729°N 1.297°W SK 476148	YES	These ancient woods are dominated by pedunculate oak, with sparse ground flora. There is a considerable amount of dead wood, which attracts a variety of birds, including all three native species of woodpecker.

Charnwood Lodge	Charnwood Lodge	193.5 hectares (478 acres)	Coalville 52°44′06″N 1°19′23″W / 52.735°N 1.323°W SK 458155	PP	GCR, NNR, SSSI	This is the largest area of moorland in the East Midlands, and it is mainly covered by bracken on dry hills, while wet heath is dominated by purple moor-grass.

Cloud Wood	Cloud Wood	33 hectares (82 acres)	Loughborough 52°47′20″N 1°22′59″W / 52.789°N 1.383°W SK 417214	PP	SSSI	Cloud Wood is an ancient semi-natural wood on clay. The dominant trees are ash and pedunculate oak, and ground flora is very diverse, including pendulous sedge, yellow archangel and giant bellflower.

Cossington Meadows	Cossington Meadows	88.9 hectares (220 acres)	Leicester 52°42′40″N 1°07′05″W / 52.711°N 1.118°W SK 597130	YES	Flora on this wetland site include flowering rush, purple loosestrife and blue water-speedwell. There are several pools which attract wildfowl, such as gadwall and tufted duck, which breed on the site.

Cribb's Meadow	Cribb's Meadow	5 hectares (12 acres)	Grantham 52°45′32″N 0°40′08″W / 52.759°N 0.669°W SK 899188	YES	NCR, NNR, SSSI	The embankment of a disused railway runs through this ridge and furrow neutral meadow on boulder clay. The diverse flora includes adder's tongue fern, pepper saxifrage, hayrattle and green-winged orchid.

Croft Pasture	Croft Pasture	5.8 hectares (14 acres)	Leicester 52°35′17″N 1°15′04″W / 52.588°N 1.251°W SP 509958	YES	SSSI	The River Soar runs through this unimproved grazed meadow, which is dominated by common bent and crested dog's-tail. A knoll in the north of the site has uncommon flora such as meadow saxifrage, common stork's-bill and subterranean clover.

Dimminsdale	Dimminsdale	23.5 hectares (58 acres)	Coalville 52°47′35″N 1°26′38″W / 52.793°N 1.444°W SK 376219	PP	GCR, SSSI	Dimminsdale has semi-natural woodland and one of the largest areas of unimproved acidic grassland in the county. Earl Ferrers' lead mine, which is located on the site, has a unique and complex mixture of minerals such as galena and zinc blende.

Great Merrible Wood	Great Merrible Wood	12 hectares (30 acres)	Uppingham 52°33′25″N 0°46′16″W / 52.557°N 0.771°W SP 834962	YES	SSSI	This is a surviving fragment of the medieval Leighfield Forest. It is semi-natural ancient woodland with several unusual herbs, such as broadleaved helleborine, herb paris and violet helleborine.

Holwell Reserves	Holwell Reserves	16.4 hectares (41 acres)	Melton Mowbray 52°48′11″N 0°54′07″W / 52.803°N 0.902°W SK 741234	YES	Former quarries on this site have soil which is low in nutrients and lime-rich, creating conditions for many species of wildflower to flourish.

Kelham Bridge	Kelham Bridge	8.1 hectares (20 acres)	Coalville 52°42′14″N 1°23′56″W / 52.704°N 1.399°W SK 407120	YES	The conversion of this former sewage disposal site to a nature reserve was completed in 2002. The River Sence has been diverted to create meanders, extending flooded areas and reedbeds; 101 bird, 19 butterfly and 16 dragonfly species have been recorded.

Ketton Quarry	Ketton Quarry	27.5 hectares (68 acres)	Stamford 52°38′13″N 0°33′29″W / 52.637°N 0.558°W SK 977053	YES	SSSI	Calcareous grassland on this site provides a habitat for rare moths, grizzled and dingy skipper butterflies, common lizards and adders. There are also areas of woodland, which have the only yellow bird's-nest plants in the county, and scrub, which is valuable for birds such as the turtle dove.

Launde Woods	Launde Big Wood	99 hectares (240 acres)	Leicester 52°37′26″N 0°50′31″W / 52.624°N 0.842°W SK 785036	YES	SSSI	This site is in two separate areas. Launde Big Wood is ancient semi-natural woodland with a rich ground flora, including wood anemone, wood forget-me-not and sweet woodruff.

Lea Meadows	Lea Meadows	12 hectares (30 acres)	Leicester 52°41′56″N 1°15′11″W / 52.699°N 1.253°W SK 506115	YES	SM, SSSI	Over 240 species of plants have been recorded on these unimproved marshy meadows, and there is a stream which has white-clawed crayfish and brook lampreys, both of which are legally protected.

Loughborough Big Meadow	Loughborough Big Meadow	35.3 hectares (87 acres)	Loughborough 52°47′28″N 1°12′14″W / 52.791°N 1.204°W SK 538218	YES	SSSI	Summerpool Brook runs through this unimproved hay meadow, which is periodically flooded. It has diverse herbs, including great burnet, meadow saxifrage, yellow rattle, common bird's-foot trefoil, pepper-saxifrage and the nationally uncomon narrow-leaved water-dropwort.

Lucas Marsh	Lucas Marsh	1.5 hectares (3.7 acres)	Oadby 52°35′31″N 1°05′06″W / 52.592°N 1.085°W SP 621998	YES	LNR	The marsh is dominated by greater willowherb and common reed, while there are also areas of rough grassland, a hedge, trees and scrub.

Merry's Meadows	Merry's Meadows	12.6 hectares (31 acres)	Oakham 52°43′52″N 0°36′43″W / 52.731°N 0.612°W SK 938157	YES	SSSI	These ridge and furrow meadows are the only known location in the county for the frog orchid. The soil is on boulder clay, and grasses include crested dog's-tail, sweet vernal-grass, upright brome, downy oat-grass and quaking grass.

Mountsorrel Meadows	Mountsorrel Meadows	12.6 hectares (31 acres)	Leicester 52°43′12″N 1°07′41″W / 52.720°N 1.128°W SK 590140	PP	This site on the bank of the River Soar was farmland until 2006, but is now managed for wildlife. Areas of wet woodland have been created by a combination of planting and natural regeneration.

Narborough Bog	Narborough Bog	9.2 hectares (23 acres)	Leicester 52°34′34″N 1°11′28″W / 52.576°N 1.191°W SP 549979	YES	SSSI	This site has a large area of common reed on peat, and there is also wet woodland, dominated by crack willow.

Prior's Coppice	Prior's Coppice	29 hectares (72 acres)	Oakham 52°38′13″N 0°46′19″W / 52.637°N 0.772°W SK 832051	YES	SSSI	This wood is on poorly drained soils derived from Jurassic Upper Lias clay and glacial boulder clay. The dominant trees are ash and oak, with field maple and hazel in the shrub layer.

Rocky Plantation	Rocky Plantation	3.4 hectares (8.4 acres)	Leicester 52°42′07″N 1°16′19″W / 52.702°N 1.272°W SK 493118	YES	NT	This site has mixed woodland, including some mature sessile oaks, and rocky outcrops. There is a variety of fungi and birds, including great spotted woodpeckers and nuthatches.

Rutland Water	Rutland Water	393 hectares (970 acres)	Oakham 52°39′14″N 0°39′43″W / 52.654°N 0.662°W SK 906071	YES	NCR, Ramsar, SPA, SSSI	This site has four-man-made lagoons, with islands which provide a safe area for nesting birds. There are also wildflower meadows with species rich hedgerows, mature woods and plantations dating to the 1970s.

Stonesby Quarry	Stonesby Quarry	4 hectares (9.9 acres)	Melton Mowbray 52°48′58″N 0°47′42″W / 52.816°N 0.795°W SK 813250	YES	SSSI	This site on Jurassic Lincolnshire Limestone has grassland with diverse herb species, such as autumn gentian, cowslip, dwarf thistle, small scabious, pyramidal orchid and clustered bellflower.

Tilton Railway Cutting	Tilton Railway Cutting	3.1 hectares (7.7 acres)	Leicester 52°38′31″N 0°52′37″W / 52.642°N 0.877°W SK 761055	YES	GCR, SSSI	This is the best site in the East Midlands which exposes the sequence of rocks in the Lower Jurassic around 180 million years ago.

Ulverscroft	Ulverscroft	56 hectares (140 acres)	Leicester 52°42′25″N 1°16′34″W / 52.707°N 1.276°W SK 490124	YES	NT, SSSI	The site has diverse habitats with woodland, heath, wet grassland, a pond, a meadow, marshes and sphagnum bog. The meadow has a rich flora, including fragrant orchid, devil's-bit scabious and bitter vetch.

Wanlip Meadows	Wanlip Meadows	16.2 hectares (40 acres)	Leicester 52°41′17″N 1°06′32″W / 52.688°N 1.109°W SK 603104	YES	These meadows, which are sometimes flooded by the River Soar, are grazed by cattle. There are many birds, including the uncommon Temminck's stint and wood sandpiper.

Wymeswold Meadows	Wymeswold Meadows	4.5 hectares (11 acres)	Loughborough 52°48′07″N 1°11′28″W / 52.802°N 1.191°W SK 614231	YES	The River Mantle runs through steeply sloping banks in this grassland site, which has diverse flora and invertebrates. Butterflies include orange tips, small coppers, common blues and small heaths.

Wymondham Rough	Wymondham Rough	12.5 hectares (31 acres)	Melton Mowbray 52°44′53″N 0°46′12″W / 52.748°N 0.770°W SK 831174	YES	SSSI	This site has grassland, woodland, a stretch of disused canal, a marsh and ponds. The clay grassland has a rich flora, dominated by common bent, Yorkshire fog, false oat-grass and cock's foot.

Sentence(s)

The largest is Rutland Water at 393 hectares (970 acres), a wetland area which is one of the richest reservoirs for wintering wildfowl.

final_sentence: The largest is Rutland Water at 393 hectares (970 acres), a wetland area which is one of the richest reservoirs for wintering wildfowl.