Rocks, Old John and the War Memorial

Bradgate House, with Old John and the Leicestershire War Memorial on the skyline

Bradgate House, chapel and ruined tower

Old John

Red deer

River Lin taken from hillside

Bradgate Park is a public park in Leicestershire, England, just northwest of Leicester. It covers 850 acres (3 km²). 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 lies Swithland Wood. ImageMetadata File history File links Download high resolution version (1280x1024, 281 KB) Bradgate Park, rocks with Old John and the War Memorial. ... ImageMetadata File history File links Download high resolution version (1280x1024, 281 KB) Bradgate Park, rocks with Old John and the War Memorial. ... ImageMetadata File history File links Download high resolution version (1200x399, 92 KB) Bradgate Park and Bradgate Hall. ... ImageMetadata File history File links Download high resolution version (1200x399, 92 KB) Bradgate Park and Bradgate Hall. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (2048x1536, 2063 KB) Taken on the 9th of October, 2005. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (2048x1536, 2063 KB) Taken on the 9th of October, 2005. ... ImageMetadata File history File links Download high resolution version (2288x1712, 823 KB) Folly of Old John in Bradgate Park, Leicestershire. ... ImageMetadata File history File links Download high resolution version (2288x1712, 823 KB) Folly of Old John in Bradgate Park, Leicestershire. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (2163x1614, 594 KB) Deer in Bradgate Park. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (2163x1614, 594 KB) Deer in Bradgate Park. ... Image File history File links River_Linn. ... Image File history File links River_Linn. ... Leicestershire (IPA: , abbreviated Leics) is a landlocked county in central England. ... Motto: (French for God and my right) Anthem: God Save the King/Queen Capital London Largest city London Official language(s) English (de facto) Unification    - by Athelstan AD 927  Area    - Total 130,395 km² (1st in UK)   50,346 sq mi  Population    - 2005 est. ... Leicester city centre, looking towards the Clock Tower Leicester (pronounced ) is the largest city in the East Midlands of England. ... An acre is an English unit of area, which is also frequently used in the United States and some Commonwealth countries. ... Square kilometre (US spelling: Square kilometer), symbol km², is an SI unit of surface area. ... Newtown Linford is a linear village in Leicestershire (England). ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Cropston is a village in Leicestershire, England. ... Woodhouse Eaves church and war monument Woodhouse Eaves is a village located on the side of Beacon Hill, in the Charnwood Forest area of Leicestershire, UK. It is a sizeable rural village, having several pubs and a few shops (including a SPAR). ... Swithland is a village in the Charnwood borough of Leicestershire, England. ... Cropston Reservoir lies in Charnwood Forest in Cropston, Leicestershire. ... Swithland Wood is an area of public woodland in Leicestershire, just north of Bradgate Park and between the villages of Woodhouse Eaves and Swithland in Charnwood Forest. ...

History

The park was cleared by the Greys of Groby in the 15th century; the construction of Bradgate House was begun in 1490 by Sir John Grey, 7th Baron Ferrers of Groby, the husband of Elizabeth Woodville and the ruins of the house are still visible at the centre of the park. The house was the birthplace of Lady Jane Grey, later Queen, ruling for a mere 9 days before being overthrown by Mary I. A much later park landmark is the folly known as 'Old John' on the top of the highest hill in the park, built in 1784. This was also built by the Greys of Groby, who were by then Earls of Stamford. In 1928 the park was bought from the heirs of the Greys by Charles Bennion, who gave it in perpetuity to the people of Leicestershire. (14th century - 15th century - 16th century - other centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 15th century was that century which lasted from 1401 to 1500. ... Events Tirant Lo Blanc by Joanot Martorell, Martí Joan De Galba is published. ... Elizabeth Woodville or Wydville (c. ... Lady Jane Grey (1537 – February 12, 1554), a great-grand-daughter of Henry VII of England, reigned as uncrowned queen regnant of the Kingdom of England for nine days in 1553. ... Mary Tudor is the name of both Mary I of England and her fathers sister, Mary Tudor (queen consort of France). ... Broadway Tower, England The folly at Wimpole Hall, England High Service Water Tower (1895), Lawrence, Massachusetts. ... Old John Old John at sunset Old John is a folly atop the highest hill in Bradgate Park, Leicestershire, England. ... 1784 was a leap year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... The title Earl of Stamford is an extinct title in the Peerage of England. ... 1928 (MCMXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ...

Geology

The geology of the park is mainly Precambrian, and some of the earliest multicellular lifeforms are known from fossils discovered in the park in 1957 (Charnia masoni). The Precambrian is an informal name for the eons of the geologic timescale that came before the current Phanerozoic eon. ... 1957 (MCMLVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Charnia is the genus name given to a frond-like Precambrian plant with segmented ridges branching alternately to the right and left from a zig-zag medial suture. ...

Flora and fauna

The landscape is rocky moorland with a covering of coarse grass and bracken. Several spinneys of woodland (pine and mixed deciduous) are enclosed by stone walls, and are not accessible to the public. The park is home to herds of red deer and fallow deer. Birdlife is profuse - the reservoir attracts many species of wildfowl, as does the river, and the spinneys provide secluded nesting areas for many other species, including large colonies of rooks. Species such as yellowhammer, reed bunting, skylark and meadow pipit are a common sight in the open areas of the park. For 'historical reasons' Deadly nightshade is allowed to grow within the ruins of Bradgate House. Species Pteridium aquilinum Pteridium caudatum Pteridium latiusculum and about 7-8 other species Brackens (Pteridium) are a genus of about ten species of large, coarse ferns, in the family Hypolepidaceae. ... Species About 115 species Pines are coniferous trees of the genus Pinus, in the family Pinaceae. ... Deciduous means temporary or tending to fall off (deriving from the Latin word decidere, to fall off). ... Binomial name Cervus elaphus Linnaeus, 1758 Red Deer (Cervus elaphus), known as Elk in North America, are the second largest species of deer in the world, after Alces alces (the moose or, in Europe, elk). ... Binomial name Dama dama (Linnaeus, 1758) The Fallow Deer (Dama dama) is a ruminant mammal belonging to the family Cervidae. ... Falcated Duck at Slimbridge Wildfowl and Wetlands centre, Gloucestershire, England Wildfowl or waterfowl, also waterbirds, is the collective term for the approximately 147 species of swans, geese and ducks, classified in the order Anseriformes, family Anatidae. ... Binomial name Corvus frugilegus Linnaeus, 1758 Rook range The Rook, Corvus frugilegus, is a member of the passerine order of birds and the crow family. ... Binomial name Emberiza citrinella Linnaeus, 1758 The Yellowhammer, Emberiza citrinella, is a passerine bird in the bunting family Emberizidae, a group now separated by most modern authors from the finches, Fringillidae. ... Binomial name Emberiza schoeniclus (Linnaeus, 1758) The Reed Bunting, Emberiza schoeniclus, is a passerine bird in the bunting family Emberizidae, a group now separated by most modern authors from the finches, Fringillidae. ... Binomial name Alauda arvensis Linnaeus, 1758 The Skylark (Alauda arvensis) is a small passerine bird. ... Binomial name Anthus pratensis (Linnaeus, 1758) The Meadow Pipit, Anthus pratensis, is a small passerine bird which breeds in much of the northern half of Europe and Asia. ... Binomial name Atropa belladonna L. Deadly nightshade or belladonna (Atropa belladonna) is a well-known perennial shrub, with leaves and berries that are highly toxic. ...

Access

There are pay car parks at Cropston Reservoir, Newtown Linford, and Hunts Hill (at the top of the park near Old John). The park is open from dawn until dusk all year round, though the public footpaths which run through the area mean that in practice the park is always accessible. There is a visitors' centre (with cafe) at Newtown Linford, and another in the centre of the park near Bradgate House (under reconstruction in 2005). The park is administered by the Bradgate Park and Swithland Wood Charitable Trust, trustees are nominated by Leicestershire County Council, Leicester City Council and the National Trust. Old John Old John at sunset Old John is a folly atop the highest hill in Bradgate Park, Leicestershire, England. ... Leicestershire (IPA: , abbreviated Leics) is a landlocked county in central England. ... Leicester city centre, looking towards the Clock Tower Leicester (pronounced ) is the largest city in the East Midlands of England. ... The standard of the National Trust The National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, usually known as The National Trust, is a British preservation organization. ...

It is also possible to travel to the park by bus. There is a walking path from the village of Anstey, easily accessible from Leicester by the 74 bus. The path is signposted from Link Road, and crosses several fields before entering the park proper. Bus routes 121, 123, and some 54 buses run between Leicester and Loughborough, travelling along Reservoir road, at the far end of Cropston Reservoir. The visitor's centre can be seen across the reservoir. To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Leicester city centre, looking towards the Clock Tower Leicester (pronounced ) is the largest city in the East Midlands of England. ... Statistics Population: 57,600 Ordnance Survey OS grid reference: SK536195 Administration Borough: Charnwood Shire county: Leicestershire Region: East Midlands Constituent country: England Sovereign state: United Kingdom Other Ceremonial county: Leicestershire Services Police force: Leicestershire Constabulary Fire and rescue: {{{Fire}}} Ambulance: East Midlands Post office and telephone Post town: LOUGHBOROUGH Postal... Cropston Reservoir lies in Charnwood Forest in Cropston, Leicestershire. ...