Yes the winter weather is setting in and those cold days are creeping closer every day but that doesn’t mean we have to hibernate in our homes all winter! The beauty of our British countryside is that it offers excellent scenery all year round. Spring and summer is full of lavish greenery and warm, breezy days on the beach and by lakes. And autumn and winter bring golden browns, snow covered trees and crunchy, frost bitten grass.
And the Leicestershire countryside is no exception! So grab your thermals, your winter coat, your wellies, your woolly hat and gloves and make the most of the British winter. To get you started, here are some great Leicestershire landmarks you can visit.
Diamond Jubilee Wood
After the summer of celebrations the new flagship Diamond Jubilee Wood is the place to visit this season. The wood was created to celebrate her Majesty The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. It’s situated in the heart of The National Forest in Leicestershire, close to Normanton Le Heath. Over the next three years over 300,000 trees will be planted – this planting project will link existing wildlife habitats together to form the largest continuous woodland under single ownership in The National Forest. This is a huge project with over 10km of rabbit and boundary fencing to be installed, a huge amount of new footpaths to be built as well as the fitting of an abundance of kissing gates and field gates.
In just 12 years the trees will have matured, creating a large expanse of natural beauty for everyone to enjoy. You can walk around the woods right now, there are some restrictions in place, but there is still plenty to see. And visiting it this winter, when the project is in its infancy means you can watch it grow over the years and see the transformation as time goes on.
Beacon Hill Country Park
The country park is situated in Charnwood Forest and boasts an impressive 335 acres of mixed woodland, grassland, farmland and beautiful wildflower meadows. There’s a pretty extensive network of paths throughout the park, spreading out further into the countryside making it the ideal place for walking. Perhaps the most impressive feature of this park is that at 248m, Beacon Hill is the highest point in Leicestershire, offering excellent views at its summit. There are also large wooden sculptures to explore that were inspired by the Park’s natural environment and historic qualities. A 4.8 km track encircles the park which is excellent for walkers, mountain bikers and even horse riders. And if you’re really daring during the winter, there’s even a space to enjoy a picnic or a barbeque.
Battle of Bosworth Country Park
This country park is steeped in history, being the site where the Battle of Bosworth took place, one of the most important battles in English history. It led to the War of the Roses which planted the Tudor house on England’s throne. Crowning Henry Tudor, soon to be known as King Henry VII and marking the beginning of the 118 year reign of the Tudor dynasty in England. The battle also saw the death of Richard III, the last English monarch to be killed in battle. Now the Battlefield is a place for us to visit and enjoy the beautiful area on foot. You can walk along the Battlefield Trail and if you need to escape the cold for a bit you can visit the Tithe Barn Restaurant, a historic building offering lovely lunches, using only locally produced ingredients.
So if you don’t fancy spending the whole of the winter hiding under a blanket in front of the TV, dig out your warmest clothes and head out to the Great British Countryside.
This post was written by Meredith Watts for Secure-A-Field, a specialist company providing a wide range of fencing products from kissing gates to boundary fencing.
