Charnwood Forest

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File:Beacon Hill, Leicestershire.jpg
The summit of Beacon Hill
File:Swithland woods 2006-05-02 036web2.jpg
Bluebells in Swithland Wood
File:Map of Charnwood Forest NCA73 area.jpg
Charnwood Forest, as defined by Natural England
File:Bradgate park rocks.jpg
Old John, Bradgate Park

Charnwood Forest is a hilly tract in northwestern Leicestershire, England, bounded by Leicester, Loughborough and Coalville. The area is undulating, rocky and picturesque, with barren areas. It also has some extensive tracts of woodland, and significant Precambrian geology. Its elevation is generally Script error: No such module "convert". and upwards, the area exceeding this height being about Script error: No such module "convert".. The highest point, Bardon Hill, is Script error: No such module "convert"..

On its western flank lies an abandoned coalfield, with Coalville and other former mining villages,Script error: No such module "Footnotes".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". now being regenerated and replanted as part of the National Forest. The M1 motorway, between junctions 22 and 23, cuts through Charnwood Forest.

The hard stone of Charnwood Forest has been quarried for centuries,Script error: No such module "Footnotes".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". and was a source of whetstones and quern-stones. The granite quarries at Bardon Hill, Buddon Hill and Whitwick supply crushed aggregate to a wide area of southern Britain.

The forest is an important recreational area with woodland walks, noted for their displays of bluebells in the early spring, rock climbing and hillwalking. Popular places with public access include Bardon Hill, Beacon Hill, Bradgate Park, Swithland Wood, the Outwoods and Stoneywell cottage (National Trust).

Extent

The area of hills and open land known as Charnwood Forest has no jurisdictional boundary (the Borough of Charnwood covers roughly two thirds of Charnwood Forest, and the eastern half of the borough is not part of the forest). Furthermore, despite its name, Charnwood was never a royal forest, and was never subject to forest law.Script error: No such module "Footnotes".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". So although it is an ancient and well-established locality,Script error: No such module "Footnotes".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". it has only recently been officially defined, by the Natural England National Character Area (NCA) process,Script error: No such module "Footnotes".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".[1] which takes a somewhat wider definition than many previous attempts to define the area.Script error: No such module "Footnotes".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".Script error: No such module "Footnotes".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".

Geology

Many of the craggy rocks of Charnwood Forest are of volcanic origin and are very old, dating back through 600 million years to Precambrian times.Script error: No such module "Footnotes".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". It was the site of the first-ever recorded discovery of Charnia masoni, the earliest-known large, complex fossilised species on record, recovered from a quarry near the Charnwood village of Woodhouse Eaves. It was discovered separately in 1956 and 1957 by local schoolchildren Tina Negus and Roger Mason, although it was Mason who received the credit (thus masoni). Since this find in Charnwood Forest, Precambrian fossils have been discovered across the world.Script error: No such module "Footnotes".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".[2][3]

Along the western edge of Charnwood Forest the rocks are mainly Precambrian igneous diorites. These formed from molten lava deep within the sedimentary rocks, cooling slowly to produce hard, blocky rock with large crystals. This is extensively quarried for roadstone around Groby, Markfield and Whitwick, and is known as granite (formerly also called Markfieldite).Script error: No such module "Footnotes".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".

The central area of the forest has older rocks still. These are sedimentary and are very variable in character, They were formed by material from volcanoes, settling in deep water, and it is in these beds that the fossils are found. Uplifting, tilting and erosion have produced the distinctive jagged exposures found across the highest parts of Charnwood.Script error: No such module "Footnotes".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". On the eastern side, a much more recent series of rocks are found. Again igneous diorites, that formed deep underground, but these are Ordovician, from a mere 450 million years ago.Script error: No such module "Footnotes".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". These are extensively quarried in the areas near Mountsorrel.

History

The earliest form of the name Charnwood is probably derived from cerne woda, from the Celtic carn, meaning cairn, and the Old English wudu, meaning wood. Some sources give cwern as the derivation, meaning a tool used to grind grain and other materials by hand. The area was a source of stone for these tools, called quern-stones.[4]

Archeological evidence has shown that the area was inhabited as far back as the Neolithic period, approximately 4,000–2,000 BC. Beacon Hill is the site of a Bronze Age hill fort, dating from between 600 BC and 43 AD. This forms one of the last surviving visible features in the landscape known to the Coritani, the tribe who occupied most of the East Midlands area at the time of the Roman Conquest.

According to Domesday Book, there was only one settlement in Charnwood Forest in 1086, at Charley whose name would appear to come from the same root, with the suffix -ley denoting open land, rather than forest.

In the 200 years after the Norman conquest, newly created settlements took major areas of land out of the forest for use in agriculture. Quorn was established between 1086 and 1153, and all the land up to Woodhouse had been deforested by 1228.

There were comparatively few major changes in land use in the post Medieval period, until the demand for timber and charcoal for the early Industrial Revolution contributed to a further loss of woodland. By the end of the 18th century, most of the woodland had disappeared leaving large areas of moorland and pasture.

In 1957, Charnwood Forest was considered for designation as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), but the designation was not made due to the construction of the M1 motorway through the area.[5][6]

In literature

The area was the inspiration for "Charnwood Poems", a collection of poems by the author, playwright and poet Albert Francis Cross (1863–1940). It is also the setting for the speculative fiction novel Some Kind of Fairy Tale by Graham Joyce (2012), in which it is depicted as a possible portal to the realm of fairies.

Wildlife and geological sites

File:Charnwood wildlife and geology sites map.svg
Map showing sites in Charnwood Forest notable for wildlife and geology

Charnwood Forest covers approx Script error: No such module "convert". of Leicestershire, split over three local government districts: Charnwood Borough, North West Leicestershire District and Hinckley and Bosworth District. It includes a national nature reserve (NNR), 19 SSSIs (Some subdivided in the list of sites below), 4 Geological Conservation Review (GCR) sites of international geological importance plus a further 6 GCR sites, 13 regionally important geological sites (RIGS), five local nature reserves (LNRs), seven Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust (LRWT) nature reserves, and one Woodland Trust woodland. Seventeen sites have open access to the public. Footpaths and bridleways give views and limited access to the other sites listed, and to the rest of the Charnwood Forest landscape. Over half of Charnwood Forest is included within the English National Forest. It is also crossed by two waymarked long distance walking routes—the Leicestershire Round and the Ivanhoe Way.[7] The 45 sites listed here include sites with statutory wildlife or geological designations, plus other sites included in published lists of notable sites. On both the map and table, green denotes a site open to the public, amber denotes a site with limited access or restricted by permit or membership. Red denotes a site with no public access except by special arrangement with the owners.

Plants found within the woods include Digitalis purpurea, Dactylorhiza fuchsii, Sorbus torminalis and Vaccinium myrtilus.

Sites in Charnwood Forest notable for Wildlife and Geology
Map No. Site Name Status Access Location and map link Area (ha) Habitat Ownership and details
1 Breedon Cloud Wood and Quarry SSSI(B&G)[8] & RIGS[9] Restricted Template:Gbmappingitem 63 Ancient woodland and limestone quarry Breedon Cloud Wood is owned by LRWT. Permit needed.[10] Cloud Hill Quarry is owned by Ennstone Breedon Ltd.
2 Shepshed Cutting SSSI(G)[8] Partial Template:Gbmappingitem 6.1 Old Quarry with Galena of a type unknown elsewhere in the world.[11] The quarry is crossed by a disused railway cutting of the Charnwood Forest Railway which is now a path and cycleway and of the short-lived Charnwood Forest Canal.Script error: No such module "Footnotes".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
3 Morley Quarry, Shepshed LNR,[12] GCRScript error: No such module "Footnotes".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". & RIGS[13] Open Template:Gbmappingitem 3 Disused quarry Charnwood Borough Council. Car Park off Iveshead Road.[13] Cliff faces show the oldest of Charnwood's Precambrian rocks and the Triassic unconformity.Script error: No such module "Footnotes".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
4 Newhurst Quarry, Shepshed SSSI(G),[8] GCRScript error: No such module "Footnotes".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". & RIGS[9] None Template:Gbmappingitem 9 Quarry currently being used for waste disposal Landfill site managed by Biffa.[14] GCR listing for Mineralogy significance.Script error: No such module "Footnotes".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
5 Holywell Wood WoodlandScript error: No such module "Footnotes".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Private Template:Gbmappingitem Woodland Private. Public footpath runs along its northern edge from Snells Nook Lane.
6 Longcliffe Quarry, Shepshed RIGS[9] None Template:Gbmappingitem Quarry site Midland Quarry Products: working quarry.
7 Ives Head GCR(I)Script error: No such module "Footnotes".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". & RIGS[15] Partial Template:Gbmappingitem Old quarry and craggy hilltop Privately owned disused quarry. A public bridleway passes 500 m south of the summit (201 m).
8 Blackbrook Reservoir SSSI(B&G)[8] & GCRScript error: No such module "Footnotes".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Partial Template:Gbmappingitem 38.6 Open water, wooded banks, wetlands Severn Trent Water. Access to the viaduct and wooded slopes via One Barrow Lane.Script error: No such module "Footnotes".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
9 Grace Dieu And High Sharpley SSSI (B&G)[8] Partial Template:Gbmappingitem 89 Heathland and Carbonifierous limestone outcrops Private owners. Adjoins National Forest access land and Grace Dieu Priory site.
10 Cademan Wood WoodlandScript error: No such module "Footnotes".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Partial Template:Gbmappingitem Mixed woodland with rocky outcrops De Lisle family. Public footpaths and informal open access.[16] Spectacular outcrops that formed very close to a Precambrian volcano.Script error: No such module "Footnotes".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
11 Snibston Country Park and Grange Nature Reserve LNR[12] Open Template:Gbmappingitem 40 Woodland, meadow, marsh and ponds Leicestershire County Council.[17]
12 Nature Alive! Coalville LNR[12] Open Template:Gbmappingitem 6 Regenerated scrub and wetland on former industrial land North West Leicestershire District Council. Valuable site for dragonflies.[18]
13 Whitwick Quarry RIGS[9] None Template:Gbmappingitem Quarry site Midland Quarry Products
14 Mount St Bernard Abbey AbbeyScript error: No such module "Footnotes".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Partial Template:Gbmappingitem Cistercian Abbey Visitors to the Abbey and grounds are made welcome.[19] The crags around The Knoll show steeply dipping Charnian tuffs.Script error: No such module "Footnotes".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
15 Charnwood Lodge NNR, SSSI(B&G)[8] & GCRScript error: No such module "Footnotes".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Restricted Template:Gbmappingitem 193.5 Acid and heath grasslands with some mixed woodland LRWT, permit needed for parts.[20] Timberwood Hill and Warren Hills are accessible under the right to roam.[21]
16 Jubilee Wood, Woodhouse Lane Public woodland Open Template:Gbmappingitem 10 Mixed woodland and rocky outcrops Leicestershire County Council.[22]
17 Loughborough Outwoods, Woodhouse Lane SSSI(B&G)[8] GCR (I)Script error: No such module "Footnotes".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Open Template:Gbmappingitem 44.6 Mixed woodland and rocky outcrops Charnwood Borough Council. Free car park.[23]
18 Woodbrook and Deans Wood Stream and woodlandScript error: No such module "Footnotes".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Partial Template:Gbmappingitem Charnwood stream and woodland Permissive path from Jubilee wood to Deans Lane.[24]
19 Charley Woods Nature reserve Open Template:Gbmappingitem 28.8 Oak woodland LRWT, open to the public.[25]
20 Bardon Hill Quarry SSSI(G)[8] GCRScript error: No such module "Footnotes".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". and RIGS[9] None Template:Gbmappingitem 79 Quarry. Precambrian Igneous Rocks Aggregate Industries.
21 Bardon Hill SSSI(B)[8] Partial Template:Gbmappingitem 13 High moorland, highest point in Leicestershire (278m) Private land. Access to the summit, via public footpaths with expansive views.Script error: No such module "Footnotes".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
22 Beacon Hill, Woodhouse Eaves SSSI(B&G)[8] GCRScript error: No such module "Footnotes".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". & Ancient Monument Open Template:Gbmappingitem 135 Heathland, rocks, woodland hillfort Leicestershire County Council.[26]
23 Broombriggs Farm and Windmill Hill Farm Trail Open Template:Gbmappingitem 55 Farmland and heath Leicestershire County Council. Pay car park.[27]
24 Buddon Brook StreamScript error: No such module "Footnotes".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Partial Template:Gbmappingitem Stream habitat Private farmland. A public footpath runs beside the stream.
25 Buddon Wood SSSI(B&G)[8] and RIGS[9] None Template:Gbmappingitem 89 Ancient Oak woodland, now mostly quarried away, Private – including Lafarge Aggregates.[28]
26 Main Quarry, Mountsorrel SSSI(G)[8] & GCRScript error: No such module "Footnotes".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". None Template:Gbmappingitem 14 Quarry site Lafarge Aggregates. Largest man-made hole in Europe. School visits are possible.[29]
27 Swithland Reservoir and Brazil Island SSSI (B&G)[8] and RIGS Partial Template:Gbmappingitem 98 Open water, wooded banks Severn Trent Water. Limited road and footpath access. Excellent views from Great Central Railway, which crosses the reservoir via Brazil Island.
28 The Brand, Swithland SSSI(B&G)[8] & GCRScript error: No such module "Footnotes".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". None Template:Gbmappingitem 18 Oak woodland, grassy heath and old slate quarries Private (Martin family). Occasional open days.[15]
29 Roecliffe Manor Lawns SSSI(B)[8] None Template:Gbmappingitem 1.2 Species rich grassland with rare fungi Private (Cottingham family).
30 Swithland Wood SSSI(B&G)[8] Open Template:Gbmappingitem 61 Ancient Woodland and disused slate quarries Bradgate Park Trust. Pay car parks.
31 Benscliffe Wood SSSI(B)[8] None Template:Gbmappingitem 10 Mixed woodland Private wood. Particularly rich in lichen species.
32 Ulverscroft Nature Reserve, Whitcroft's Lane Nature reserve Restricted Template:Gbmappingitem 56 Mixed woodland, marshy grassland and meadow NT, managed by LRWT (NT members need LRWT permit).[30]
33 Rocky Plantation, Nr Markfield Nature reserve Restricted Template:Gbmappingitem 3.4 Mixed woodland and rocky outcrops NT, managed by LRWT. Open to Wildlife Trust and National Trust members only.[31]
34 Lea Meadows, Ulverscroft Lane SSSI[8] Open Template:Gbmappingitem 12 Meadow LRWT, open to the public.[32]
35 Billa Barra Hill LNR[12] & RIGS[9] Open Template:Gbmappingitem 20 Old quarry, grassland, mature and recent woodland. Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council. Open to the public. Car Park on Billa Barra Lane.[33]
36 New Cliffe Hill Quarry RIGS[9] None Template:Gbmappingitem 243 Quarry. Precambrian Rocks Midland Quarry Products: working quarry (A tunnel links this to Cliffe Hill Quarry).[34]
37 Cliffe Hill Quarry SSSI(G)[8] GCR (I)Script error: No such module "Footnotes".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". and RIGS[9] None Template:Gbmappingitem 37 Quarry. Precambrian Rocks Midland Quarry Products: working quarry.[35]
38 Altar Stones, Markfield Nature reserve Open Template:Gbmappingitem 3.7 Rough heath grassland with rock outcrops LRWT, open to the public.[36]
39 Hill Hole Quarry, Markfield Nature reserve and RIGS[9] Open Template:Gbmappingitem 5.4 Flooded quarry, rock faces and grassland Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council. Open to the public.[37] The old quarry faces show the youngest of the area's Precambrian rocks.Script error: No such module "Footnotes".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
40 Cropston Reservoir SSSI(B&G)[8] None Template:Gbmappingitem 55 Open water, wetlands Severn Trent Water. No access but with good views from Bradgate Park.
41 Bradgate Park SSSI(B&G)[8] GCR(I)Script error: No such module "Footnotes".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Open Template:Gbmappingitem 340 Bracken heath, rocks, river, woodland, ancient oaks Bradgate Park Trust. Pay car parks.
42 Sheet Hedges Wood, Newtown Linford SSSI(B)[8] Open Template:Gbmappingitem 30 Mixed woodland Leicestershire County Council. Free car park near Groby Pool.[38]
43 Groby Pool SSSI(B)[8] Partial Template:Gbmappingitem 28 Open water, wetlands Amalgamated Roadstone Corp. One side has good roadside paths and access with a large nearby free car park.
44 Groby Quarry RIGS[9] None Template:Gbmappingitem Working Quarry Amalgamated Roadstone Corporation (ARC)
45 Martinshaw Wood Public woodlandScript error: No such module "Footnotes".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Open Template:Gbmappingitem 102 Mixed woodland Woodland Trust.[39]

Abbreviations used in the table: National nature reserve (NNR). Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) (B=Biological, G=Geological). Geological Conservation Review (GCR)(I=of International importance).Script error: No such module "Footnotes".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Regionally Important Geological Site (RIGS). Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust (LRWT). National Trust (NT). Local nature reserve (LNR). Script error: No such module "Side box".

See also

Notes

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  5. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  6. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  7. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  8. ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  9. ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  10. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  11. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  12. ↑ a b c d Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  13. ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  14. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  15. ↑ a b Crocker, J and Daws, J, 1996 Spiders of Leicestershire, p.207
  16. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  17. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  18. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  19. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  20. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  21. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  22. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  23. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  24. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  25. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  26. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  27. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  28. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  29. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  30. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  31. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  32. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  33. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  34. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  35. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  36. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  37. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  38. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  39. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".

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References

  • Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  • Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  • Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  • Script error: No such module "citation/CS1". (This report includes two high-quality geological maps)
  • Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  • Wikisource This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Script error: No such module "template wrapper".
  • Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
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External links

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