Top 18 Lakes around Ratby

Cycling is only permitted on the one route through the park, which gets busy with walkers, take it slow in the park. Cafe and toilets in the middle.

In September 1867, 180 acres of land was purchased for a cost of £24,000. Most of the land required for the reservoir, dam and waterworks belonged to the Bradgate Estate. Lord Stamford insisted that a stone wall be built around the boundary to separate the deer park from the reservoir, instead of the proposed iron railings. This wall, 1,500 yards long was eventually built at a cost of 8s 10d per yard. Joseph Reeves, Head Gamekeeper, outside his house. Some of the Bradgate Estate land was part of the deer park, but most was farmland let out on very long leases. One farmer, Joseph Allen, lost virtually all his farm. Two members of the Matts family had theirs considerably reduced in size. The Gamekeeper’s house and land, together with a nearby bridge, were also in the area to be flooded. The house, together with its stables and outhouses, were demolished and the bricks sold. Part of the footpath between Anstey and Hallgates was submerged, as was the site of the old rabbit warren (or conery).

Bradgate Park was first enclosed as a deer park (for hunting) in the 12th Century. Herds of Red and Fallow Deer still roam freely across the Park's 800 acres today.The Park is designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest for its importance as a wildlife habitat and its geological interest - the 600 million year old Precambrian rocks here are some of the oldest in England. Bradgate House, built around the year 1500, was one of the first unfortified, brick-built country houses in the country and was the childhood home of Lady Jane Grey and played an important role in the English Civil War. Abandoned in the 18th Century, the house is now an evocative ruin set in a landscape that has changed little since the house's heyday.

A great place for a simple circuit of the lake or to hook up to other nearby walks. Owned by the forestry commission, the car parks are no longer free . Card or payment by app only (cash not accepted).

This is the Great Pit in Swithland Wood, a site shaped by centuries of slate quarrying, with origins tracing back to Roman times. The quarry was first officially recorded in the 1300s, with activity continuing until the 19th century. Due to the presence of deep water and sheer vertical walls, the quarry is extremely hazardous and completely closed to public access.

Sence Valley Forest Park is a significant area of woodland planting which has transformed the former opencast coal mining site, in north-west Leicestershire, into a haven for wildlife and visitors. The coal mine closed in 1996 and only two years later 98,000 Corsican pine, larch and poplars trees were planted. Another 100 acres of land was bought in 2018 and this was planted with a range of coniferous and broadleaved trees, as a sustainable forest for the future.

Was pretty mucky and slippy on a gravel bike in June, although it's been a wet year

Swithland Reservoir, opened in 1896 for Leicester, had a 500 million-gallon capacity but became insufficient. In the early 20th century, a pipeline from Derwent reservoirs in Derbyshire was required. As you pass Buddon Wood, quarried in the early Iron Age for millstones, take a moment to enjoy the scenery, woodland, and water birds. You might also catch sight of steam trains on the viaduct from this spot.