Geology

Kingfisher Pool is sited in the Charnwood Forest Geopark

The vines of Rothley Wine Estate are rooted in glacial deposits that lie along the nearby Rothley Brook. Having been laid down during the Quaternary Period during the last 5 million years, these geological formations contain far-travelled geologies, including quartzite ‘bunter’ pebbles. These hard, rounded, and many-coloured stones eroded from the ancient mountains of Brittany, and were then carried north by the Budleighensis river system 250 million years ago, before their final journey south to Leicestershire via glacial ice flows. The gravels below the Rothley vines have also been observed to include flint, likely from the Cretaceous period, and pebbles of Carboniferous rocks that possibly originate to the west of Charnwood Forest.

Kingfishers Pool, at the bottom of the vineyard is fed by a waterfall that tumbles over granite boulders. These granite boulders were brought here from Mountsorrel by the Romans to create a dam into the mill pond. The dam collapsed leaving this pretty waterfall. It is lovely spot to sit near and pop a cork, sip a glass of wine and gaze upon the unique geology.