.: Friends of Charnwood Forest

Welcome to the Friends of Charnwood Forest

To work towards the preservation of the countryside and local environment of Charnwood Forest Regional Park for the benefit of those who live within it, for those who visit, and for future generations.

Friends of Charnwood Forest is a society aiming to protect the natural beauty and amenities of the area known as Charnwood Forest. Membership is is open to all.

More details about what we do and who we are can be found here.

Stag's Head Appeal

Newtown Linford Parish Council arranged to get a large dead tree stump on Bradgate Hill, Newtown Linford, carved into a "Stag's Head", and this is now complete. We provided a significant contribution towards the cost.

Here is our latest Newsletter

FoCF Sponsorship

The Committee has been considering how to use some of the Society's surplus funds (this was also raised at the 2015 AGM), and we have provided new information boards at the Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust reserve sites at Charnwood Lodge and Lea Meadows. Many members will remember that we visited Charnwood Lodge in 2015, and Lea Meadows in 2012. The information boards include our logo and some information about the Friends.

We have also provided a noticeboard, including a map of Charnwood Forest, outside the Village Hall in Woodhouse Eaves.

Our Next Event

The visit to Mountsorrel Quarry has been postponed.

Our next indoor meeting will be on Monday, 17 September when Richard Thomas, reader in Archaeology at Leicester University (where he has been based for 15 years) and co-director of the Bradgate Park Fieldschool, will talk about New Archaeological Discoveries in Bradgate Park.
Frequent visitors to Bradgate Park may well have observed, over the past four years, fieldschools excavating various sites. These range from Stone Age remains around Little Matlock, to the Deer Keeper's House, various sites within and around Bradgate House and in this last year the possible stable block. These excavations have been organised by the School of Archaeology and Ancient History at the University of Leicester. Richard Thomas will summarise what has been learnt so far, and present the results of this year's excavations which focussed on the stable block to the south of Bradgate House, just over the bridge.

Woodhouse Eaves Village Hall, 19:30. Members free; guests £3 payable on the door.

Heritage Lottery Fund Application

The National Forest Company applied ("The Chronicles of Charnia") to the Heritage Lottery Fund for a £3M grant to enhance the National Forest. Here are details of the application .

The Application stated "The Chronicles of Charnia" will celebrate the area's internationally important volcanic legacy. It will enable and encourage people to explore its rich landscape and diverse heritage. It will provide deeper engagement for residents and visitors, while contributing to the local economy. It will coordinate management at a landscape-scale to make Charnwood's heritage more resilient to growing pressures. Most importantly, it will create a greater sense of local pride, inspiring communities to restore the character of this special place".
It has a strap-line "Made by volcanoes, shaped by people".

In early November (2017) we heard that the application was successful.

And here are two Powerpoint presentations from a recent Stakeholder Workshop: an introduction and an update.

Events and Programmes for 2018

Details of future meetings, social events, outdoor visits, etc. of Friends of Charnwood Forest is available here.

Previous Events

Here are details of some of our previous events, which includes some photographs from our 25th Anniversary Party.

Stoneywell

The National Trust's only property in Leicestershire, Stoneywell, lies a couple of miles north-west of Newtown Linford. Its official opening was on 11 March, 2015. Booking is essential; please telephone 01530 248040 or email Stoneywell@nationaltrust.org.uk. The Stoneywell website is at http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/stoneywell/.

Membership

We welcome all visitors to indoor events: most outddoor events are limited to members. Those wishing to join the Friends should download and complete the Membership Application Form.

Video of the Forest

An interesting 20 minute amateur video of Charnwood Forest has been produced by Patrick Leach, Bob Morgan and Martin Roy and is available here. Please note that FOCF is not responsible for the content of this video.