Places to visit in East Midlands
Explore nature reserves, woodlands, and parks across 35 counties in East Midlands.
The National Forest, Rutland Water, and Sherwood Forest sit at the heart of a region steadily reclaiming its industrial past with woodland and wetland.
Amber Valley
Straddling the Amber river valley in Derbyshire, this district blends former colliery sites with woodland parks and river corridors.
Ashfield
A former colliery district in north Nottinghamshire, sitting on the edge of Sherwood Forest with woodland walks and reclaimed pit-heap nature parks.
Bassetlaw
Covering northern Nottinghamshire, this district encompasses part of Sherwood Forest, the River Idle floodplains, and parkland estates including Clumber Park.
Blaby
A predominantly suburban district south of Leicester, crossed by the River Soar and its flood-meadow plain, with Fosse Meadows Country Park.
Bolsover
A former coal-mining district on the eastern flank of Derbyshire, with limestone country and the Creswell Crags gorge on its northern boundary.
Boston
A flat fenland district on the Lincolnshire coast, where reclaimed salt marsh, tidal rivers, and agricultural plains meet The Wash estuary.
Broxtowe
A largely suburban district on the western edge of Nottingham, with the Attenborough Nature Reserve — a flooded gravel-pit lagoon — at its southern tip.
Charnwood
Centred on the ancient rocky uplands of Charnwood Forest, this Leicestershire district has heathland, woodland, and some of England's oldest exposed geology.
Chesterfield
A market-town district on Derbyshire's eastern edge, with the Peak District National Park and moorland fringes accessible to the west.
Derby
A compact city in the Derwent valley, with Darley Park and riverside walks along the Derwent, backed by the Peak District uplands to the west.
Derbyshire Dales
A scenic limestone district of narrow dales carved by the Dove, Wye, and Lathkill rivers, largely within the Peak District National Park.
East Lindsey
A large coastal district encompassing the Lincolnshire Wolds AONB, sandy beaches, and the low-lying marshland of the Lincolnshire coast.
Erewash
Straddling the Erewash river valley between Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire, this district has canal towpaths and former industrial landscapes converted to walking routes.
Gedling
An eastern suburb of Nottingham bordering the Trent valley, with the Gedling Country Park on a former colliery site and river-meadow nature reserves.
Harborough
A rural district of south Leicestershire with rolling upland farmland, the Welland river valley, and the Grand Union Canal corridor.
High Peak
An upland district covering the northern Peak District, with Dark Peak gritstone moorland, Kinder Scout plateau, and the Snake Pass through the hills.
Hinckley and Bosworth
A rural district of west Leicestershire with mixed farmland, Bosworth Battlefield Country Park, and canal-side walking along the Ashby Canal.
Leicester
A compact city crossed by the River Soar, with Watermead Country Park to the north and the National Forest accessible within a short drive.
Lincoln
A compact cathedral city straddling the River Witham, with the Lincoln Edge limestone escarpment rising to the west and fenland stretching east.
Mansfield
A former colliery town district on the edge of Sherwood Forest, with reclaimed woodland and the Maun Valley greenway running through its centre.
Melton
A rural district in northeast Leicestershire covering the Vale of Belvoir and the Wreake river valley, with estate woodland and rolling farmland.
Newark and Sherwood
Spanning the Trent valley and the ancient Sherwood Forest, this district has wetland nature reserves, riverside meadows, and one of England's most celebrated ancient woodlands.
North East Derbyshire
A transitional district between the coalfield landscapes of east Derbyshire and the gritstone moors of the Peak District, with country parks on former industrial land.
North Kesteven
A broad fenland and heath district in south Lincolnshire, with the limestone Heath plateau, the Witham river corridor, and extensive flat farmland.
North Northamptonshire
Covering northern Northamptonshire, this district includes the Nene valley wetlands, Rockingham Forest remnants, and Rutland Water reservoir on its northern boundary.
North West Leicestershire
A district at the heart of the National Forest, where new and ancient woodland is steadily covering the former Leicestershire and South Derbyshire coalfield.
Nottingham
A compact city on the River Trent, with Wollaton Park and its deer herd within the city boundary and riverside meadows stretching south.
Oadby and Wigston
A small suburban district immediately south of Leicester, with the University of Leicester Botanic Garden and the River Sence corridor as key green spaces.
Rushcliffe
A largely rural district south of Nottingham, with the Trent valley floodplain, Attenborough Nature Reserve, and rolling farmland stretching to the Vale of Belvoir.
Rutland
England's smallest unitary authority, centred on Rutland Water reservoir — one of Western Europe's largest man-made lakes — with limestone ridges and river meadows.
South Derbyshire
A low-lying district in the Trent and Dove valleys, with the National Memorial Arboretum, gravel-pit nature reserves, and the National Forest on its fringe.
South Holland
A flat fenland district on the eastern edge of the English Fens, with tidal marshes, navigable drainage channels, and The Wash hinterland.
South Kesteven
A transitional district between the Lincolnshire limestone Heath and the southern fens, with the Vale of Belvoir to the west and the Grantham Canal towpath.
West Lindsey
A largely rural district covering the Lincoln Edge escarpment, the Trent vale, and the flat peat lands of the Isle of Axholme.
West Northamptonshire
Covering southwest Northamptonshire, this district has the Nene valley lakes, limestone upland farmland, and Salcey Forest — an ancient semi-natural woodland.