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The Great Britain Guide

Country parks · West Midlands

Bradgate Park

Tudor & StuartFree admission

Bradgate Park — 850 acre public park.

Bradgate Park, country parks in Leicestershire

Wikimedia Commons contributors — see linked file page for photographer and licence licence

Plan your visit

Typical visit
1.5 h–3 h
Nearest railway station
Rothley · 4.4 km
  • Free entry
  • Family-friendly
  • Dog-friendly

About

Bradgate Park is a country park in the United Kingdom. Records date its origin to 1500. It covers approximately 335 km². Heritage designation: Grade II listed park and garden. Wikidata describes it as: "850 acre public park". Coordinates: 52.6917°, -1.2214°.

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Protected designations

  • Site of Special Scientific Interest: Bradgate Park and Cropston Reservoir SSSI
  • National Nature Reserve: BRADGATE PARK AND SWITHLAND WOOD

Designations sourced from Natural England open data under OGL v3.

From the Wikipedia article

Bradgate Park () is a public park in Charnwood Forest, in Leicestershire, England, northwest of Leicester. It covers 850 acres (340 hectares). The park lies between the villages of Newtown Linford, Anstey, Cropston, Woodhouse Eaves and Swithland. The River Lin runs through the park, flowing into Cropston Reservoir which was constructed on part of the park. To the north-east lies Swithland Wood. The park's two well known landmarks, Old John and the war memorial, both lie just above the 210 m (690 ft) contour. The park is part of the 399.3 hectare Bradgate Park and Cropston Reservoir Site of Special Scientific Interest, which has been designated under both biological and geological criteria. Following a fire in April 2017, the owners Bradgate Trust advised that all visitors are expected to be alert to the risk of causing fire, though another fire in June destroyed one of the ancient oaks.

Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.

Background

History

The area now enclosed as Bradgate Park was one of a number of parks surrounding Charnwood Forest. Since medieval times it has been part of the Manor of Groby. In the reign of Edward the Confessor, the area was owned by a landowner named Ulf. The manor, along with some 100 others in and around Leicestershire, was awarded to Hugh de Grandmesnil in the eleventh century as reward for his assistance in battle to William I. The name Bradgate is thought to derive from Norse or Anglo-Saxon, meaning "broad road" or "broad gate" respectively. The Grey family retained it for the next 500 years, and in the 19th century was opened to the public several days a week. In 1928 it was bought by Charles…

Sourced from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Coordinates
52.6917, -1.2214
County
Leicestershire
District
Charnwood
Parish
Newtown Linford
Postcode
LE6 0AH
Parliamentary constituency
Mid Leicestershire
Established
1500
Nearest railway station
Rothley4.4 km
Opening
all year, 7.45 am to dusk

Sources

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Frequently asked questions

Where is Bradgate Park?
Bradgate Park is in Leicestershire, the West Midlands, United Kingdom (postcode LE6 0AH), in the parish of Newtown Linford.
When was Bradgate Park built?
Built or established in 1500.
Who owns Bradgate Park?
Bradgate Park is owned by Bradgate Park and Swithland Wood Charity (Registered Charity no. 521476, (popularly known as the Bradgate Park Trust).
Is Bradgate Park a listed building?
Bradgate Park is officially recognised as Grade II listed park and garden listed.
Is Bradgate Park a protected site?
Yes — Bradgate Park is part of the Bradgate Park and Cropston Reservoir SSSI Site of Special Scientific Interest and the BRADGATE PARK AND SWITHLAND WOOD National Nature Reserve.
Is Bradgate Park free to visit?
Yes, Bradgate Park is free to enter.