Bradgate Park

Bradgate Park lies in Charnwood Forest, northwest of Leicester, covering 340 hectares between five villages. The River Lin flows through it and feeds Cropston Reservoir on its eastern edge, while Swithland Wood borders the park to the north-east. Two landmarks stand above the 210-metre contour: Old John, a 1784 folly, and the war memorial. The whole site is protected as a Site of Special Scientific Interest for its plants and rocks. After a 2017 fire, visitors must stay alert to further fire risks. The park began as a medieval hunting ground owned by the Manor of Groby. In 1241 it was laid out as a deer park smaller than today’s boundary. The Grey family held it for five centuries, opening it to the public several days a week in the 19th century. In 1928 Charles Bennion bought the park and gave it to the people of Leicestershire to remain in its natural state. The park still keeps herds of red and fallow deer whose ancestors have lived here since medieval times. Bradgate House, built around 1520, was the birthplace of Lady Jane Grey in 1537. A parker once lived in a moated house to tend the deer for the lord of Groby Manor. Dry-stone walls from the 17th and 18th centuries mark the park’s northern and western edges. Visitors walk past ancient oaks and along the river, with views from Old John’s hilltop tower. The reservoir and spinneys planted for shooting add to the varied landscape.