Short birdwatching visit · Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust
Charley Woods
- Tier
- Local green space
- Best season
- All year for woodland birds; spring for the wider woodland display
- Headline birds
- Tawny Owl · Nuthatch · Treecreeper
- Parking
- Park in the roadside lay-by and walk about 750 metres. Do not drive down the approach track; there is no parking at the woods.
- Hides
- Not stated by the operator
- Step-free
- The Trust does not establish a fully accessible route; the walk from the lay-by is part of the visit.
Copt Oak
Charley Woods combines the ancient Burrow and Cat Hill woods with a field being allowed to regenerate between them. The Trust names Nuthatch, Treecreeper and Tawny Owl as year-round woodland birds, with standing deadwood and a mixture of tree species providing varied habitat. Public access follows a track from Warren Hills Road, so a visit begins with a walk to the woods rather than parking at the entrance. The reserve connects with some routes towards Charnwood Lodge, but visitors must follow the specified paths: the tarmac track does not provide unrestricted access beyond its gate.
Birds and seasons
- Tawny Owl · Headline bird — All year Source for Tawny Owl
- Nuthatch · Headline bird — All year Source for Nuthatch
- Treecreeper · Headline bird — All year Source for Treecreeper
Plan your visit
- Hides and viewpoints
- Not stated by the operator – check before travelling
- Paths
- Use the signed public approach and reserve paths. The tarmac track does not continue as a public route into Charnwood Lodge beyond the marked turning.
- Toilets
- Not stated by the operator – check before travelling
- Parking
- Park in the roadside lay-by and walk about 750 metres. Do not drive down the approach track; there is no parking at the woods.
- Dogs
- Dogs must be on leads.
- Access notes
- The Trust does not establish a fully accessible route; the walk from the lay-by is part of the visit.
- Step-free access
- The Trust does not establish a fully accessible route; the walk from the lay-by is part of the visit.
Getting there: From Copt Oak follow Warren Hills Road north-west and use the public track opposite Upper Greenhill Farm. The pin represents the Trust’s reserve reference, not the roadside lay-by; follow the operator’s separate parking directions.
Sources
Social preview: original typographic artwork by Does Your Duck Quack.
Nearby special trips
- Budby South Forest · 34.8 straight-line miles
- Eastern Moors · 39.5 straight-line miles
- Aqualate Mere National Nature Reserve · 42.8 straight-line miles
Continue birding nearby
Nearest full guide: Attenborough Nature Reserve, 12.2 miles away in a straight line.
- Charnwood Lodge National Nature Reserve · 1.2 miles in a straight line
- Kelham Bridge · 4.7 miles in a straight line
- Mountsorrel and Rothley Marshes · 7.1 miles in a straight line