Eastern Old Parks

Eastern Old Parks is a ‘missing piece’ of the woodland jigsaw that now neatly fits into the recently planted woodland landscape, linking existing habitats that stretch north of Ashby de la Zouch up to the National Forest boundary at Robins Wood.

Its ‘Old Parks’ name is attributed to three local farms on a former deer park that dates back to medieval times. Remnants of an old park wooden fence, that ran along an earth mound to create a deer enclosure, can be seen in the woodland to the north of the site. More recently, the site was used for intensive agriculture, with boundary hedges suggesting open, flat fields. There is a history of open cast coal mining nearby, predominantly on the other side of the B587 (Lount Mine).

Eastern Old Parks retains an open parkland feel, with grazed land and small groves of trees. There are also large blocks of woodland with relatively little open space. One area is dedicated to work being undertaken by Forest Research to better understand how genetics plays a part in resistance to Ash dieback disease. Another field has trees dedicated through our online tree dedication scheme and a section of this area, including the central glade, has been developed through an association with the Air Ambulance.