New Lount Nature Reserve — Local services in North West Leicestershire

Two points to beat in mind when visiting - the access gate is locked at 4 pm, all year round, and there is a height restriction barrier at 1.95 metres. Although there is room for one high-top vehicle outside the gate.

This site is a gem for a gentle stroll or to walk dogs, and they can run freely if they are kept under control. There are a couple of ponds, but even more muddy pits - be warned, lol. There are benches placed around the site and picnic tables, so weather permitted, a nice place to eat surrounded by bird song.

It is also an old colliery, so information boards are strategically placed to give insight to the old workings, and there are even some of the old coal truck tracks still there. Well worth a...

New Lount Colliery was a deep-mine coal colliery in Coleorton, Leicestershire, that opened in 1924 and closed in 1968, though its pumps remained operational into the 1970s to deal with water and for salvage. Owned by the National Coal Board (NCB), the mine's closure was due to the exhaustion of its thicker coal seams, allowing miners to retire or move to other pits. The site is now a nature reserve, with three wetland ponds and natural tree growth covering the former pit bank, and there is a heritage trail that marks the site's...

Free nature reserve on a former colliery site. Good use of paths means it feels a lot larger than it is. In winter parts of the hill are impassable, but there is still the short heritage trail to explore, with really well executed information boards on route. Plenty for little ones to do as well including hiding in bushes, building dens and following the railway tracks. Nice picnic area by the car park with bird feeders. Just be warned, no toilets (it is a free site!) and a car park that is often full, although it...