Walk Of The Rocks: Warren Hills In The Charnwood Forest, Leicestershire
This is a fabulous and unique short 1.4 miles walk near the village of Whitwick and the town of Coalville, Leicestershire. The Warren Hills loop takes you on a journey through some of the oldest rocks in the country and the world as well as giving some superb views across the county.
It may be a short walk but it is worth taking your time through this part of Charnwood Forest. Children will especially find it fascinating as there are many rocky outcrops to explore with mini scrambles for the budding climber.
The views on this walk are not restricted to open landscapes but also plenty of history is to be seen both prehistoric and via more recent religious buildings.
Quiet solo walks, romantic couple walks, family walks and super dog walks. This small circular walk fits them all for some Leicestershire exploration. Free parking too.
Here we shall look at not just the walk but also a look into the fascinating geology and history.
Walk Details
A small circular walk without any really steep sections that can be extended with exploration on and amongst the rocks.
Walk Route Info
Distance: 1.4 miles (2.1 km)
Total Ascent: 130 ft (40 m)
Difficulty: Easy (can be muddy after rain)
Time: 30 mins to 1 hr
Parking
Parking for this Warren Hills walk is free via spaces on lay-bys. The one right at the start of this walk is on Warren Hills Road at postcode LE67 4UX. There is space for 5 or 6 cars. Right by the lay-by is the gate that leads onto the walk.
The Rocks of Charnwood Forest
Charnwood Forest in Lecestershire is a special place in the world of Geology. It is a place where you can find some of the oldest rocks in England and Wales. Some of the the rocks you see today come from way back indeed! A time before life on earth.
We are talking up to 600-700 million year old rocks, that dates them as Precambrian. Precambrian is the period from when the earth was formed with the sun etc from gas and dust (around 4.5 Billions years ago) up to about 540 million years ago when the Cambrian period starts. The Precambrian period covers almost the first 90% of the time of earth, the time before more complex organisms appear on the fossil record.
A walk through the whole Charnwood Forest area is like a walk through the history of rock formation on earth and how rocks formed in this unique area of the Midlands. Have you ever wondered why there are so many rock quarries here.
There are many distinct and differing types of rocks depicting different periods in the formation of the Earth’s crust and later.
To the east of the area, Markfield and Whitwick, are rocks that have been heavily quarried for kerbs and roads. This was created when lava from volcanic activity made its way through the sediment and built up and up. As it cooled over a long time it formed rocks that is now hard, rugged and tough with distinctive pink crystal formations within. It is so unique that during quarry times the rock was actually known as Marfieldite.
The middle of Charnwood Forest has the oldest rocks. From volcanic debris crashing down into what was once a deep sea of water. Throughout hundreds of millions of years since there has been land shifts, earthquakes and techtonic movements that have created this landscape of ancient rocks sticking out over the undulating Leicestershire landscape.
Fossils
You cannot have rocks this old without the chance of fossils and yes, some of the most important and oldest fossils ever found have been in the Charnwood Forest.
Even the names of the fossils found were given names from local places and people who found them. here are some examples:
Charnia
If you have ever studied pictures of ancient fossils then you will have seen fossilised imprints of primitive fern like simple plant structures that lived under water. These are called Charnia. Named after Charnwood Forest.
The first ever precambrian specimen was found by a schooboy named Roger Mason in 1957 as he was doing some rock climbing near Woodhouse Eaves. This species of Charnia is known as Charnia Masoni.
David Attenborough attended the same school as Roger Mason and David himself used to go exploring the rocks of Charnwood Forest. But prior to Roger’s discovery it wasn’t believed rocks this old could still bare fossils.
Earliest Known Animal Predator
Move onto recent years and the earliest known fossil of an animal predator has been found, yes, in Charnwood Forest. The fossil of a species that is 560 million years old. The first example of an organism with a skeleton. From what has evolved into jellyfish today.
It is shaped like a torch with tentacles and it has been given the name of Auroralumina attenboroughii. This translates to ‘Lantern of Light’ plus giving David Attenborough a nod.
The Walk
The walk is short in comparison to many walks on this site but when you are there you can appreciate why lots of people have a great affinity to it. The views and the landscape are quite unique and also unique for this part of the country. You do not have to climb hard here to get views over Coalville and across to Bardon Hill.
From the lay-by there is a gate through the stone wall and a path across a field. Then through a second gate, head straight on through the trees and you leave the trees as the path turns left.
Keeping the wall on your right head straight on enjying the views and rock features we shall talk about shortly.
You get a great view from up here of Mount St Bernard Abbey.
At the far end of this path you come to another wall ahead of you with Abbey Road behind it. Incidentally this is another lay-by area for parking if wanted. Turn left here (before the wall) and almost back on yourself to get on the path that leads back to the beginning.
Conclusion
This may be a short walk of 1 to 2 miles but as far as a destination for exploration and views it is immense.Dogs and children love it too.
The Charnwood Forest is more than just an area for fresh air. It is a place for learning and discovering. History, geology and uniqueness. Time to explore more.
You can also join us on a walk in the Charnwood Forest via our Leicestershire 3 Peaks Guided Walk.
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