Swithland Wood
| Swithland Wood | |
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| Type | Woodland |
| Location | Leicestershire, England |
| OS grid | SK5412 |
| Coordinates | 52°42′22″N 1°12′11″W / 52.706°N 1.203°WCoordinates: 52°42′22″N 1°12′11″W / 52.706°N 1.203°W |
| Area | 61 hectares (150 acres) |
| Operated by | Bradgate Park Trust |
| Site of Special Scientific Interest | |
 Location within Leicestershire
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| Area of Search | Leicestershire |
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| Grid reference | SK 539125 |
| Coordinates | 52°42′22″N 1°12′11″W / 52.706°N 1.203°W |
| Interest | Biological/Geological |
| Area | 86.2 hectares (213 acres) |
| Notification | 1956 |
| Natural England website | |
Swithland Wood is a public woodland in Charnwood Forest, in Leicestershire. Although close to the village of Swithland, it is almost entirely within the parish of Newtown Linford. It is just north of Bradgate Park and also near Woodhouse Eaves and Cropston. The wood is part of the Swithland Wood and The Brand SSSI, noted for both its biological and geological interest, and is Leicestershire's most important ancient woodland for nature conservation. Quarries within the wood were a source of the distinctive Swithland Slate roofs found on many local buildings as well as the slate gravestones common in Leicestershire churchyards. Swithland Wood has been a public woodland since 1925, upon its acquisition by the Leicester Rotary Club, having previously been part of the estate of the manor of Groby. Since 1931 it has been managed by the Bradgate Park and Swithland Wood Trust.
Swithland Wood is classed as Ancient semi-natural woodland. Medieval ridge and furrow shows that most of the area was once cleared of trees, and used for growing crops. Documentary evidence of its use as woodland dates back to 1512 by which time at least part of the site was established woodland. It was probably not 'planted', but simply recolonised the soon-abandoned farmland. However it has been woodland continuously since then, primarily managed through coppicing. It was subdivided into compartments known by various names: Great Lynds, Little Lynds, Dunham Lynns, Hollgates Wood, Slate Pit Hey and Slate Pit Hill. The woodland was part of the Grey family's Bradgate Estate throughout their time as earls of Stamford. In 1880 they had 26 woodlands on the Bradgate Estate and these were an integrated part of the Grey estates throughout the 17th to 19th centuries. The earliest known use of the name 'Swithland Wood' is in a schedule of 1772. The name now covers all of the Grey estate woodlands on this site. Adjoining the woods on the east are two areas of woodland in Swithland Parish, historically known as Stocking Wood and Whites Wood. These were part of the estates of the Danvers family, and then the earls of Lanesborough. These two woods remain private, and are not part of the Swithland Wood public woodland, although they are part of the designated SSSI.
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