Owston Woods

Sauvey Castle is a medieval castle, near Withcote, Leicestershire, England. It was probably built by King John in 1211 as a secluded hunting lodge in Leighfield Forest. It comprised a ringwork or shell keep, with an adjacent bailey; earthwork dams were constructed to flood the area around the castle, creating a large, shallow moat. The castle was occupied by the Count of Aumale in the early reign of Henry III, but it then remained in the control of the Crown and was used by royal foresters until it fell into disuse in the 14th century. By the end of the 17th century, its walls and buildings had been dismantled or destroyed, leaving only the earthworks, which remain in a good condition in the 21st century.

Withcote is a small parish currently comprising a number of scattered dwellings in Harborough, a local government district of Leicestershire. The population is included in the civil parish of Braunston-in-Rutland.

Withcote Chapel is a redundant Anglican church in the parish of Withcote, Leicestershire, England (grid reference SK795057). It is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade I listed building, and is under the care of the Churches Conservation Trust. Alec Clifton-Taylor includes the church in his list of 'best' English parish churches.

Launde is a civil parish in the Harborough district of Leicestershire, bordering Rutland. The parish is the site of Launde Abbey. It gives its name to an electoral division of Leicestershire that stretches all the way from Scraptoft, Thurnby and Stoughton, near Leicester, to the border with Rutland. The civil parish population is included in the civil parish of Loddington. Launde Park lies in the valley of the River Chater. The Elizabethan house embodies the relics of the old priory and is an E-shaped building of two storeys. The private chapel is from the Perpendicular period and contains some good stained glass. There are numerous memorials of the Simpson family who bought Launde in 1763 and enlarged the house and laid out the plantations. The estate was later owned by the Dawson family.Launde Woods is a nature reserve managed by the Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust, and part of it is Launde Big Wood, which is a Site of Special Scientific Interest.

Owston and Newbold is a civil parish, 5 miles (8 km) west of Oakham in the Harborough district, in the county of Leicestershire, England. The population of the civil parish at the 2011 census (including Marefield) was 112.The Parish Church of St Andrew, Owston, began as an Augustinian monastic foundation before 1161, and substantial buildings stood around the site of the current church. Owston Abbey was never prosperous, and when dissolved at the reformation had 6 canons. The parish retained a part of the Abbey Church for its use when the rest was demolished, resulting in an unusually proportioned building, with its doorway through the tower on the south side. The relationship between the current church and former monastic arrangements remains uncertain.

Owston Abbey was an Augustinian monastery in Owston, Leicestershire, England.

Launde Big Wood is a 41.1 hectares (102 acres) biological Site of Special Scientific Interest east of Leicester. It is part of Launde Woods nature reserve, which is owned by the Leicester Diocesan Board of Finance and managed by the Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust.This wood on heavy clay is dominated by ash, and in some areas by wych elm. The ground layer has flora typical of ancient clay woods, such as bluebell, forget-me-not, yellow archangel and giant bellflower.There is access to the site by a public footpath.

Launde Woods is a 99 hectares (240 acres) nature reserve north of Launde in Leicestershire. It is owned by the Leicester Diocesan Board of Finance and leased to the Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust. The site is in two areas, Launde Big Wood, which is a Site of Special Scientific Interest, and Launde Park Wood.Launde Big Wood is ancient semi-natural woodland with a rich ground flora, including wood anemone, wood forget-me-not and sweet woodruff. Most of Launde Park Wood has been planted with conifers, but the northern third has the same range of plants as the Big Wood.There is public access to the woods, which are located on either side of the road south of Launde Abbey.

Knossington is a village and former civil parish, now in the parish of Knossington and Cold Overton, in the Melton borough of Leicestershire, England. It is located close to the border with Rutland, around 4 miles (6.4 km) west of Oakham. The population of the civil parish of "Knossington and Cold Overton" at the 2011 census was 316. It has been a designated conservation area since 1977.

Loddington is a village and civil parish in the Harborough district of Leicestershire. It is on the county boundary with Rutland, and the nearest town is Oakham in Rutland, 6 miles (10 km) to the northeast. Loddington is on a stream that joins Eye Brook, a tributary of the River Welland. The 2001 Census recorded Loddington's parish population as 77. By the time of the 2011 Census Loddington had been merged with the neighbouring civil parish of Launde. The census included the parish with that of East Norton, for which it recorded a combined total of 230.

Tilton Cutting is a 4.4 hectares (11 acres) geological Site of Special Scientific Interest west of Tilton on the Hill in Leicestershire. It is a Geological Conservation Review site, and is owned and managed by the Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust as Tilton Railway Cutting.This is the best site in the East Midlands which exposes the sequence of rocks in the Lower Jurassic around 180 million years ago. There are many fossils, including Tiltoniceras acutum, an age-diagnostic ammonite. The site has rich flora and diverse common birds.There is access from the Tilton on the Hill to Oakham road.

Somerby is a village and civil parish in the Melton district, in the county of Leicestershire, England. It is 5+1⁄2 miles (8.9 km) south of Melton Mowbray. The population of the civil parish at the 2011 census was 812. Somerby is a small country village containing a parish church (All Saints), a primary school, a Doctor's surgery, a pub, a small shop/post office, and a large Equestrian Centre. The population is close to 500. It is the largest village in the parish of Somerby and is located in East Leicestershire close to the border with Rutland; the parish also includes the settlements of Burrough on the Hill, Leesthorpe and Pickwell. The surrounding countryside is very attractive and is often referred to as 'High Leicestershire'. Much of the Parish is several hundred feet above sea level and there are often superb views to be found. Although predominantly a rural community there are a significant number of successful business enterprises in the local area. During World War II, the village was used as a base station and testing ground for Operation Market Garden, the airborne attack on Arnhem. It was in the parish of Somerby (but the village of Burrough on the Hill) that the surgeon William Cheselden was born.