Forest bathing at Swithland Wood

Swithland Wood is a surviving piece of the oak woods that once covered Charnwood Forest. It is mostly mature oak, birch, alder and lime, and slate was once quarried here from two pits that are now flooded. Felling in the 1920s prompted Leicester Rotary Club to buy the wood in 1925, and it was given to the Bradgate Park Trust in 1931. It is closed, shady woodland, a different feel from the open park next door.

There are two car parks, Swithland Wood North and Swithland South, both with a charge. A network of footpaths and riding tracks runs through the wood, and some routes are surfaced. The flooded quarries are worth a quiet stop. The car parks close about half an hour before sunset, though the public footpath through the wood stays open. Toilets are at the Hallgates car park for Bradgate Park.