A Day in Bradgate Park

On Monday, we checked out a new playground in the nearby county. Bradgate Park is Leicestershire's largest country park and was originally created as a deer park in the ancient Charnwood Forest.

We trodded up the rolling bracken covered hills and small craggy outcrops of slate and granite which were dotted with beautiful ancient hollow oak trees. From the top, we saw the River Lin meandering through the park, flowing into the Cropston reservoir and also observed flocks of raven making a racket among the trees.

An important history of the Park is Bradgate House. It was the ancestral seat of Lady Jane Grey (b.1537), who was Queen for nine days before being beheaded in 1554. Story has it that the stunted oaks in the Park were topped when she was executed.

Another prominant landmark is the Old John Tower, a distinctive beer-mug shaped folly built on the hilltop in 1786. This was an observation tower built to give the ladies a view of a race course which circled the top of the hill.

But what caught our attention was the red and fallow deer. I first sighted them among the shadows underneath the trees feeding among the bracken from the hill top. The River Lin separated them from the visitors. As we got closer to the river, we saw hundreds. We were busy clicking away and they too were busy checking us out.

Young fallow Stags

Kevin kept on warning me not to get too close cos if they charged, all hell will break loose. I just couldn't help it. They were soo amazing and beautiful. The stags were handsome with lovely antlers alongside their beautiful doe-eyed ladies.

Red Deer

Red Deer Stag and Doe
(Males stand 5ft at shoulder and may be 8.5 ft long)

A rather large handsome and somewhat intimidating Stag

We will definitely go again since we haven't checked out the nearby Cropston reservoir, and there is so much more to the estate than you could possibly see in one visit...............