When people think of Leicestershire, they often picture rolling farmland or perhaps the urban bustle of Leicester itself.
But there is a place, just northwest of the city, that feels like it belongs to a different world—and, in geological terms, a completely different time.
Bradgate Park is, without a doubt, the jewel in the county’s crown. It’s a place I’ve walked many times, and every visit reveals something new.
It covers over 800 acres of wild, rugged heathland that feels more like the Scottish Highlands than the East Midlands.
But look closer, and you’ll find this isn’t just a pretty walk. It’s a landscape that tells the story of the very beginning of life on Earth, the tragedy of a Nine Day Queen, and some fascinating local myths that—spoiler alert—might not be quite what they seem.
A Landscape of “Deep Time”
As soon as you step out of the car at Newtown Linford, you notice the rocks. They are jagged, ancient, and brooding.
These aren’t just old stones; they are Precambrian, dating back some 560 million years to a time when this part of England was a chain of volcanic islands in the southern hemisphere.
For a long time, scientists believed these rocks were too old to hold life. They thought the Precambrian era was “Azoic”—without life. That changed right here in Charnwood Forest.
In 1957, a local schoolboy named Roger Mason was climbing the rocks when he spotted a leaf-like impression.
It turned out to be Charnia masoni, a complex, soft-bodied organism that lived on the deep sea floor.
It was a discovery that rocked the scientific world (pun intended!), proving that complex life existed long before the Cambrian Explosion. It effectively solved what was known as “Darwin’s Dilemma.”
So, when you walk past those craggy outcrops near the Memorial Wood, pause for a moment. You are standing on ground that rewrote the history of life on Earth.
(Top tip: The fossils are faint and hard to see, but if you visit on a sunny autumn afternoon when the sun is low, the shadows make them pop!).
The Deer and the “Park to Plate”
Walking along the lower path by the River Lin—a lovely spot where the Victorians built little waterfalls to clear the silt—you will almost certainly meet the locals.
Bradgate has been an enclosed deer park since 1241, and today it is home to around 550 Red deer and Fallow deer.
They are majestic creatures, often seen grazing casually among the bracken or posing by the ancient oaks. But they aren’t just for show; they are vital to keeping the heathland from turning into dense scrub.
The park takes its stewardship seriously. To keep the herd healthy and the land sustainable, there is a managed cull. It sounds harsh, but it results in some of the finest, most sustainable meat you can buy.
If you are feeling peckish after your walk, I highly recommend stopping at the Deer Barn Café in the heart of the park.
They serve venison burgers and sausages right from the estate. It’s a proper “park to plate” experience—lean, healthy, and zero food miles.
Ruins of a Tragic Queen
In the valley floor lie the red-brick ruins of Bradgate House. Built around 1520, this was one of the first unfortified great houses in England—a sign that the Tudors were feeling safe enough to ditch the castle walls for comfort.
This was the childhood home of Lady Jane Grey, the “Nine Days Queen.”
It’s hard not to feel a chill standing in the roofless chapel, imagining a young girl walking these grounds before being swept up in a political game that led to her execution in 1554 at just 16 years old.
There’s a legend that the ancient, gnarled oak trees in the park were “beheaded” (pollarded) by the foresters in a gesture of mourning when she died.
It’s a romantic story, though the boring truth is that pollarding was a standard way to harvest timber and keep leaves out of reach of the deer. Still, looking at those twisted, stag-headed trees, the legend feels fitting.
(A quick note for history buffs: Don’t confuse this ruin with the “Calendar House” that had 365 windows. That was a different, later Bradgate House built in nearby Groby, which is sadly long gone!)
The Climb: Tyburn and Old John
Leaving the ruins, I like to head up the hill. The path takes you past a small plantation with the ominous name of Tyburn.
Naturally, visitors assume this was a place of execution, named after the famous London gallows.
However, the local story is less about hanging criminals and more about the practicalities of a hunting estate.
It’s said this was the spot where the kennel master would cull or castrate the young hounds—far enough away from the main kennels that the noise wouldn’t upset the other dogs. Grim, but a slice of real rural history!
The goal of the climb is, of course, Old John Tower. Sitting at 212 metres (696 ft), this folly is the icon of Leicestershire. It looks like a beer tankard, doesn’t it? There’s a “handle” arch on the side.
The local pub story goes that it was built to memorialize a miller named John who was accidentally killed by a bonfire pole during a 21st birthday party in 1786.
The Earl, knowing John loved his ale, supposedly built the tower in the shape of a tankard.
I hate to ruin a good pub story, but the maps show the hill was called “Old John” as far back as 1745, and the tower was built in 1784—two years before that party!
It was likely just a folly used to watch horse racing in the park. But hey, never let the truth get in the way of a good legend.
A Place for Reflection
Just next to Old John stands the sober obelisk of the Leicestershire Yeomanry War Memorial.
It’s a stark contrast to the whimsy of the folly, honoring the men who fell in the Boer War and the two World Wars.
Standing here, with the wind in your face and the view stretching out over the reservoir and the city, is a powerful moment.
Bradgate Park is more than just a walk. It’s a place where deep time, royal tragedy, and the simple joy of a venison burger come together. Whether you’re there for the history, the geology, or just the fresh air, it never disappoints.
Visitor Info
- Parking: There are three main car parks (Pay & Display).
- Newtown Linford (LE6 0HB) – Best for the ruins and easy, flat walks.
- Hunts Hill (LE6 0AH) – Best for a shortcut up to Old John.
- Hallgates (LE7 7HQ) – Nearest to the Cropston Reservoir.
- Terrain: The lower path is tarmac and wheelchair accessible. The upper paths to Old John are steep, rocky, and unpaved.
- Food: The Deer Barn Café (in the centre of the park) or the tearooms in Newtown Linford.
