Woodhouse Eaves is a scenic village perched on the side of Beacon Hill, one of Charnwood Forest's highest points. This well-loved village attracts walkers, cyclists, and weekend explorers looking for a rural escape with top-notch hospitality.
Woodhouse Eaves boasts several inviting pubs - try The Curzon Arms, Old Bulls Head or The Wheatsheaf for a hearty meal - perfect for refuelling after hiking Beacon Hill's trails. The village church, St. Paul's, is a distinctive granite building with a slate roof designed by William Railton (architect of Nelson's Column) in 1837. It provides a charming focal point at the village centre, near a small parade of shops and a community hall that often hosts art shows and markets.
Just down the road lies Woodhouse (often called "Old Woodhouse"), a smaller and sleepier hamlet that feels frozen in time. Old Woodhouse is home to the stately Beaumanor Hall, an opulent Victorian manor and ancestral home of the Herrick family. During World War II, Beaumanor hid a secret – it was a military listening station that intercepted encoded enemy communications for Bletchley Park. Today, the hall and its beautiful grounds are open for tours, events, and group activities.
The hamlet itself is a mix of quaint old thatched cottages and more modern homes, with an ancient church (St. Mary-in-the-Elms, dating back to the 15th century) at its heart.
Both Woodhouse Eaves and Woodhouse are surrounded by natural beauty. Beacon Hill Country Park offers panoramic views over Leicestershire – sunrise and sunset from the summit are spectacular – along with woodland sculpture trails and rugged crags of 700-million-year-old granite. On the other side of the hill, Broombriggs Farm and The Outwoods provide gentler walking paths through meadows and ancient forest.
Whether you come for the vistas, the village charm, or the historic intrigue, this corner of Charnwood will not disappoint.
