Wildlife reserves · East Midlands
Great Merrible Wood
In or near Wardley.
Great Merrible Wood — woodland and nature reserve in Leicestershire, England, United Kingdom.

Wikimedia Commons contributors — see linked file page for photographer and licence licence
Plan your visit
- Typical visit
- 2 h–4 h
- Best time of year
- Autumn & winter (migration & wildfowl)
- Nearest railway station
- Corby · 9.4 km
- Free entry
- Dog-friendly
Getting there & planning your visit
Great Merrible Wood is located in Leicestershire, postcode LE16 8DG. The nearest railway station is Corby, which is 9.4 km away. Entry to the wildlife reserve is free.
About
Great Merrible Wood is a wildlife reserve in the United Kingdom. Part of Eye Brook Valley Woods. Wikidata describes it as: "woodland and nature reserve in Leicestershire, England, United Kingdom". Coordinates: 52.5570°, -0.7710°.
Photo gallery
Official information
Great Merrible Wood is a nature reserve located adjacent to Eye Brook Reservoir, known for its diverse wildlife including badgers, deer, and various bird species. Visitors can explore the ancient woodland, which features a variety of wildflowers and fungi, making it an ideal spot for nature enthusiasts.
Protected designations
- Site of Special Scientific Interest: Eye Brook Valley Woods SSSI
Designations sourced from Natural England open data under OGL v3.
From the Wikipedia article
Great Merrible Wood is a 12 hectare nature reserve east of Hallaton in Leicestershire. It is owned and managed by the Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust, and is part of the Eye Brook Valley Woods Site of Special Scientific Interest. This is a surviving fragment of the medieval Leighfield Forest. It is semi-natural ancient woodland with several unusual herbs, such as broadleaved helleborine, herb paris and violet helleborine. It is claimed to have the most diverse range of fungi in the county. There is access by a footpath from Stockerston Lane.
Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.
- Coordinates
- 52.5570, -0.7710
- County
- Leicestershire
- District
- Harborough
- Parish
- Great Easton
- Postcode
- LE16 8DG
- Parliamentary constituency
- Rutland and Stamford
- Phone
- 0116 262 9968
- Nearest railway station
- Corby — 9.4 km
- Opening
- Always open
- Official site
- www.lrwt.org.uk
Sources
- wikidata: Q42851188 (CC0)
- wikipedia: Great Merrible Wood (CC BY-SA 4.0)
- commons: Great Merrible Wood 5.jpg (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Other places nearby

Great Merrible Wood
Forests & woodlands · 0.3 km

Stockerston Hall
Historic houses · 1.3 km

Stockerston
Villages · 1.4 km

Eyebrook Reservoir
Reservoirs & lochs · 2.1 km

Stoke Dry Manor
Manor houses · 2.2 km

St Andrew's Church, Stoke Dry
Historic churches · 2.2 km

Stoke Dry
Historic churches · 2.3 km

Horninghold
Villages · 2.9 km

Nevill Holt Opera House
Theatres · 3.0 km

Nevill Holt
Manor houses · 3.1 km

Great Easton
Villages · 3.5 km

Great Easton War Memorial Cross
Memorials & monuments · 3.6 km
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Frequently asked questions
- Where is Great Merrible Wood?
- Great Merrible Wood is in Leicestershire, the West Midlands, United Kingdom (postcode LE16 8DG), in the parish of Great Easton.
- What is Great Merrible Wood?
- Great Merrible Wood — woodland and nature reserve in Leicestershire, England, United Kingdom.
- How do I get to Great Merrible Wood?
- The nearest railway station is Corby, about 9.4 km away. Drivers can use postcode LE16 8DG.
- Who owns Great Merrible Wood?
- Great Merrible Wood is owned by Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust.
- Is Great Merrible Wood a protected site?
- Yes — Great Merrible Wood is part of the Eye Brook Valley Woods SSSI Site of Special Scientific Interest.
- Is Great Merrible Wood free to visit?
- Yes, Great Merrible Wood is free to enter.
- How do I get to Great Merrible Wood?
- Drivers can navigate to postcode LE16 8DG. It sits within the Rutland and Stamford parliamentary constituency.
- Are dogs allowed at Great Merrible Wood?
- Most wildlife reserves allow dogs on lead only, with restrictions during ground-nesting bird season (March-July). Check signage at the reserve.