Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust Facts for Kids

This page is about the Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust. For other counties, see The Wildlife Trusts.

Drystone wall and rocky outcrop in Altar Stones

The Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust (LRWT) is a special group that helps protect nature in Leicestershire and Rutland in the United Kingdom. It is one of 46 similar groups called wildlife trusts across the country. LRWT looks after many nature reserves, which are safe places for plants and animals.

This trust started in 1956. It was first called the Leicestershire and Rutland Trust for Nature Conservation. By January 2018, it had more than 16,000 members. It also has about 25 staff members and over 500 volunteers who help out. The main office is in Leicester. A group of elected members called the Council of Trustees manages the trust. LRWT is a charity that works to protect all kinds of wild places and wildlife.

Leicestershire is a county with a population of about 980,000 people, based on the 2011 census. It covers an area of about 2,158 square kilometers. Rutland is a smaller, mostly rural county. It has two main towns, Oakham and Uppingham. Rutland covers about 392 square kilometers. In 2011, its population was around 37,400 people.

LRWT looks after thirty-three nature reserves. These reserves cover almost 1,200 hectares of land. Many of these places are very important for nature. For example, nineteen are known as Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). Two are national nature reserves (NNR). One, Rutland Water, is a Ramsar site, which means it is an internationally important wetland. Rutland Water is the largest reserve at 393 hectares. It is a major wetland area. It is one of the best places in the country for wild birds that visit in winter. The smallest reserve is Bloody Oaks Quarry at 1.3 hectares. This quarry has special grasslands with many different plant species.

Understanding Nature Reserve Classifications
- Public Access to Sites
- Important Nature Classifications
Nature Reserves Managed by LRWT
See also

Understanding Nature Reserve Classifications

When you visit a nature reserve, you might see different labels. These labels tell us how important a site is for nature.

Public Access to Sites

PP means you can visit only part of the site.
YES means you can visit most or all of the site.

Important Nature Classifications

GCR stands for Geological Conservation Review. These sites are important for their rocks and landforms.
LNR means Local nature reserve. These are places important for wildlife in a local area.
NCR means Nature Conservation Review. These sites are very important for their plants and animals.
NNR means National nature reserve. These are the most important places for wildlife in the country.
NT means National Trust. These sites are owned by a charity that protects historic places and nature.
Ramsar is for Ramsar sites. These are wetlands that are important all over the world.
SM means Scheduled monument. These sites have important historical remains.
SPA means Special Protection Area. These are places protected for wild birds under European Union rules.
SSSI means Site of Special Scientific Interest. These are areas with special plants, animals, or geology.

Nature Reserves Managed by LRWT

Site Name	Size (hectares)	Location	Public Access	Special Classifications	What Makes It Special
Altar Stones	3.7	Leicester	YES		This site has old volcanic rocks. Rare lichens grow on them. It also has heath grassland and old stone walls.
Bloody Oaks Quarry	1.3	Stamford	YES	SSSI	This quarry has grasslands on Jurassic limestone. You can find plants like rock-rose and autumn gentian here.
Charley Woods	26.8	Loughborough	YES		These are very old woods. They have many pedunculate oak trees. Dead wood here attracts different birds, including woodpeckers.
Charnwood Lodge	193.5	Coalville	PP	GCR, NNR, SSSI	This is the largest moorland in the East Midlands. It has ancient volcanic rocks called 'bomb' rocks.
Cloud Wood	33	Loughborough	PP	SSSI	Cloud Wood is an old woodland on clay soil. It has ash and pedunculate oak trees. Many different plants grow on the ground.
Cossington Meadows	88.9	Leicester	YES		This is a wetland site. It has plants like flowering rush and purple loosestrife. Many wild birds, like gadwall, visit the pools.
Cribb's Meadow	5	Grantham	YES	NCR, NNR, SSSI	An old railway line runs through this meadow. It has many different plants, including adder's tongue fern and green-winged orchid.
Croft Pasture	5.8	Leicester	YES	SSSI	The River Soar flows through this meadow. It has special plants like meadow saxifrage.
Dimminsdale	23.5	Coalville	PP	GCR, SSSI	Dimminsdale has woodlands and grasslands. An old lead mine here has unique minerals.
Great Merrible Wood	12	Uppingham	YES	SSSI	This is a small part of the old medieval Leighfield Forest. It has rare herbs like herb paris. Many different fungi grow here.
Holwell Reserves	16.4	Melton Mowbray	YES		Old quarries here have special soil. Many wildflowers grow because of this. Old mine tunnels are home to different types of bats.
Kelham Bridge	8.1	Coalville	YES		This site was once a sewage plant. It was turned into a nature reserve in 2002. Many birds, butterflies, and dragonflies live here.
Ketton Quarry	27.5	Stamford	YES	SSSI	This quarry has special grasslands. Rare moths and butterflies like grizzled skipper live here. You might also see common lizards and adders.
Launde Woods	99	Leicester	YES	SSSI	This site has two parts. Launde Big Wood is an old woodland with many ground plants like wood anemone.
Lea Meadows	12	Leicester	YES	SM, SSSI	Over 240 plant species have been found here. A stream on the site has protected animals like white-clawed crayfish. Part of the site has an old medieval moat.
Loughborough Big Meadow	35.3	Loughborough	YES	SSSI	This meadow often floods. It has many different herbs, including the rare narrow-leaved water-dropwort.
Lucas Marsh	1.5	Oadby	YES	LNR	This marsh has tall plants like greater willowherb and common reed. Many butterflies, such as small tortoiseshell and peacock, fly here.
Merry's Meadows	12.6	Oakham	YES	SSSI	These meadows are the only place in the county where the frog orchid grows. Four ponds here are home to common and great crested newts.
Mountsorrel Meadows	12.6	Leicester	PP		This site was farmland until 2006. Now it is managed for wildlife. It has wet woodlands and wet grasslands.
Narborough Bog	9.2	Leicester	YES	SSSI	This bog has a large area of common reed on peat. It is home to many different butterflies and moths.
Prior's Coppice	29	Oakham	YES	SSSI	This is an old wood with ash and oak trees. It has many different plants that are typical of ancient clay woods.
Rocky Plantation	3.4	Leicester	YES	NT	This site has mixed woodland and rocky areas. You can find many fungi and birds like great spotted woodpeckers here.
Rutland Water	393	Oakham	YES	NCR, Ramsar, SPA, SSSI	This large site has man-made lagoons and islands. These islands are safe places for birds to nest. It also has wildflower meadows and woods.
Stonesby Quarry	4	Melton Mowbray	YES	SSSI	This quarry has grasslands on Jurassic limestone. Many different herbs grow here, like autumn gentian and pyramidal orchid.
Tilton Railway Cutting	3.1	Leicester	YES	GCR, SSSI	This site shows rocks from about 180 million years ago. It has many fossils, including a special ammonite. It also has rich plant life and birds.
Ulverscroft	56	Leicester	YES	NT, SSSI	This site has many different habitats. These include woodlands, heath, wet grasslands, and a pond. The meadow has special plants like fragrant orchid.
Wanlip Meadows	16.2	Leicester	YES		These meadows are sometimes flooded by the River Soar. Cattle graze here. Many birds, like the rare Temminck's stint, visit. You can also find grass snakes, frogs, and toads.
Wymeswold Meadows	4.5	Loughborough	YES		The River Mantle flows through this grassland. It has many different plants and insects. Butterflies like orange tips and common blues live here.
Wymondham Rough	12.5	Melton Mowbray	YES	SSSI	This site has grasslands, woodlands, and an old canal. The clay grassland has many plants like common bent.