Outwoods, Leicestershire

The Outwoods is a ancient wood and

visitor attraction A tourist attraction is a place of interest that tourists visit, typically for its inherent or an exhibited natural or cultural value, historical significance, natural or built beauty, offering leisure and amusement. Types Places of natural b ...

overlooking

Loughborough Loughborough ( ) is a market town in the Charnwood borough of Leicestershire, England, the seat of Charnwood Borough Council and Loughborough University. At the 2011 census the town's built-up area had a population of 59,932 , the second larg ...

and the

Soar Valley The Soar Valley in Leicester- and Nottinghamshire, England is the basin of the River Soar, which rises south of Leicester and flows north through Charnwood before meeting the River Trent at Trent Lock. Soar Valley embraces the large village ...

Leicestershire Leicestershire ( ; postal abbreviation Leics.) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East Midlands, England. The county borders Nottinghamshire to the north, Lincolnshire to the north-east, Rutland to the east, Northamptonshire t ...

, England. It has rare rock outcrops, many species of woodland plants and substantial wildlife, and it is part of

Beacon Hill, Hangingstone and Outwoods Beacon Hill, Hangingstone and Outwoods is a biological and geological Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) south of Loughborough in Leicestershire. It is also a Geological Conservation Review and a Nature Conservation Review site. The ...

Site of Special Scientific Interest A Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in Great Britain or an Area of Special Scientific Interest (ASSI) in the Isle of Man and Northern Ireland is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom and Isle of ...

. Situated within

Charnwood Forest Charnwood Forest is a hilly tract in north-western Leicestershire, England, bounded by Leicester, Loughborough and Coalville. The area is undulating, rocky and picturesque, with barren areas. It also has some extensive tracts of woodland; i ...

the Outwoods stands on some of the oldest exposed rocks in Britain, being formed in the

Precambrian The Precambrian (or Pre-Cambrian, sometimes abbreviated pꞒ, or Cryptozoic) is the earliest part of Earth's history, set before the current Phanerozoic Eon. The Precambrian is so named because it preceded the Cambrian, the first period of the ...

era. The Outwoods is open all year round and the car park and toilets are open from approximately 7am until dusk. Adjacent to the Outwoods is the smaller

Jubilee Wood Jubilee Wood comprises of mixed woodland with rocky outcrops. It was presented to Leicestershire County Council in 1977 to commemorate the Silver Jubilee of Elizabeth II. The site is adjoining The Outwoods, managed by Charnwood Borough Counci ...

and close by is Beacon Hill. Tourist attractions in Leicestershire Parks and open spaces in Leicestershire {{Leicestershire-geo-stub