20 Attractions to Explore Near Hick's Lodge

Moira Furnace is a nineteenth-century iron-making blast furnace, Museum and Country Park located in Moira, Leicestershire. There is also a restored section of Ashby Canal on the site so you may wish to enjoy a boat trip. Enjoy finding out about it's fascinating history, with woodland walks and trails to explore. It is a most important industrial monument, since it is remarkably well-preserved, and dates from a formative period of the Industrial Revolution.

Ashby Canal is a 31-mile long canal running from the mining town of Moira in Leicestershire to the point at which it connects with the Coventry canal in Warwickshire. It is the perfect destination for first-time boaters, more mature boaters, or those looking for a lock-free stretch of inland waterways. This gentle and pretty route is ideal for walkers too.

The National Forest is a wonderfully varied landscape that is greening the heart of the country. You’ll find plenty of things to see and do and places to stay for a short break in and around our 200 square mile Forest. It stretches from the western outskirts of Leicester in the east to Burton upon Trent in the west, and is planned to link the ancient forests of Needwood and Charnwood.

Ashby de la Zouch Castle was the purpose-built seat of one of the most powerful men in late 15th-century English politics, William, Lord Hastings. Constructed on the site of an older manor house, two large towers and various smaller buildings had been constructed by 1483, when Hastings was executed by Richard, Duke of Gloucester.

This baroque mansion, built-in 1701-4 by an unknown architect for Sir John Harpur, incorporates parts of an Elizabethan house and is located on the site of an earlier medieval priory. The house and stables are little restored, with many abandoned areas vividly portraying a period in the 20th century when numerous country houses did not survive to tell their story. One of the unique attractions in this area and it will be a new experience.

A beautiful 60ha country park created by Leicestershire County Council on a former opencast colliery site near Heather. It includes the River Sence and three major lakes, which attract a wide variety of wildfowl. Large areas of the site are planted with Corsican pine, larch and poplars, which will provide an income when they are thinned in about 20 years. It is excellent for birdwatchers. Surfaced trails provide access for walkers, cyclists, riders and disabled visitors. A varied events programm

Foremark Reservoir is a reservoir in South Derbyshire owned by Severn Trent which is also a 230-acre (0.93 km2) nature reserve open to the public for walking, fishing, bird watching, and horse riding. One of the iconic attractions where you can spend some nice time in the middle of nature.

Rosliston Forestry Centre is a hidden gem in the heart of The National Forest in South Derbyshire offering lots of activities for great days out. The mix of woodland and meadow, ponds, and play areas offer the perfect playground for visitors of all ages, all year round. At Rosliston, They have six beautiful Forest Lodges where you can enjoy a short break or longer holiday, at any time of the year. Each lodge is privately situated in its own secluded corner of woodland and offers a full range of

Twycross Zoo is a medium to large zoo near Norton Juxta Twycross, Leicestershire. It was now renowned as a World Primate Centre and has a wide variety of monkeys and apes including the UK's only group of bonobos. It has around 500 animals of almost 150 species, including many endangered species. Renowned as a specialist primate zoo, it is the only zoo in the UK to exhibit all four types of great ape: gorilla, orangutan, chimpanzee and bonobo, the latter being the only bonobos in the country.

This beautiful 210-acre reservoir was built in 1964. It has a visitor center and wildflower meadow. You can enjoy bird watching, dinghy, and sailboarding with the Staunton Harold Sailing Club. The reservoir also includes two nature reserves, coarse fishing and the Staunton Harold Sailing Club. Has an events programme and features a large adventure play area.

This rare and beautiful house is a surviving example of a family home which was built in the 13th century and then modernised in the 17th Century, one of the oldest houses in Leicestershire. It was once owned by a relative of one of the Gunpowder plotters, and is now managed by Leicestershire County Council. All the rooms are fully furnished as they might have been at the time and the mixture of original and replica furniture and household objects can be touched and used - with one exception.

Stapenhill Gardens is a very popular local park, consisting of formal gardens, open grassland and woodland plus a popular play area. Its main feature is a giant artificial swan with all flowers planted in it. The site is mostly woodland, lawns, wild meadows and formal flower beds with trees and shrubberies. Its arboretum is near St Peter's Church and riverside steps lead to a swan feeding area.

Grace Dieu was founded in 1235 as an Augustinian nunnery, and was dissolved by Henry VIII in 1538. The site is surrounded by earthworks that suggest fish ponds and is known for its resident ghost.The priory was fairly large, having in 1337 sixteen nuns. It also had an attached hospital which cared for twelve poor people. The ruins stand in a valley bottom bounded by a small brook on the edge of Charnwood Forest and are situated on the A512 road from Loughborough to Ashby de la Zouch, Leicestersh

The National Brewery Centre Museum is a museum and tourist attraction adjacent to the Bass Brewery in Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire, England. It incorporates large elements of the original Bass Collection. Learn about the legendary Bass family and their role in the development of brewing. The museum also celebrates the social history of the development of brewing - the real life experiences and stories of the people who helped to build Burton's world-renowned brewing reputation.

Melbourne Hall has the best surviving example of the work of London and Wise. It represents the French style in England. It was not a seat of power in the eighteenth century but Lord Melbourne was prime minister when Queen Victoria came to power in 1837. It has a parterre, avenues, basins, lead statuary, an excellent wrought iron arbor, and a yew tunnel.

Claymills Pumping Station, a former steam-powered, sewage pumping station, built between 1884 and 1886 to designs by James Mansergh. There are four huge pumping beam engines, two of which currently work, a large steam driven workshop where you can see engineers and a blacksmith in action. It was one of the iconic attraction in this area which paves light to the history.

Branston Water Park is a premier wildlife site in East Staffordshire. Located just outside Burton off the A38. It was originally an open cast gravel pit and is now a Local Nature Reserve. The reed bed is particularly important to wildlife as it is one of the largest in Staffordshire. It is a notable wetland site, and around the lake is woodland, predominantly of willow and birch, and wildflower meadow. There is a large reed bed, which is a Grade 1 Staffordshire Site of Biological Importance.

Bardon Hill is a former volcano. It is the highest point in Leicestershire and the National Forest, 912 feet above sea level. Due to its prominence, it is visible for many kilometres around. It adjoins Bardon Hill Quarry, a geological SSSI. At its summit are a trigonometrical point and a radio mast. The second highest hill in Leicestershire is the nearby Beacon Hill.

It was the first Catholic Abbey to be founded in this country after the Reformation. This is a Cistercian Monastery of white monks founded in 1835 as a continuation of Garendon Abbey. Includes gardens, high calvary, gift shop, and Abbey Church. The abbey was the first permanent monastery to be founded in England since the Reformation and is the sole Trappist house in England. The monks brew the only Trappist beer in Britain.

One of the most internationally-renowned and historically significant circuits in the world, Donington Park continues to host major national and international events and has benefitted from a multi-million-pound program of improvements from new operator MSV. As well as a famous motorsport venue, Donington is also celebrated as the host of the Download rock festival, which attracts tens of thousands of music fans each year. The venue also holds a wide variety of exhibitions, shows, and other musi