At Nene Valley Firewood, we supply top-quality kiln-dried logs with free delivery and stacking across Leicester and surrounding villages. Whether you’re in town or tucked away in the Leicestershire countryside, our local team delivers straight to your door—fast, friendly, and five-star rated. Keep your home warm with sustainably sourced wood, dried and ready to burn.

At Nene Valley Firewood, we supply top-quality kiln-dried logs with free delivery and stacking across Leicester and surrounding villages. Whether you’re in town or tucked away in the Leicestershire countryside, our local team delivers straight to your door—fast, friendly, and five-star rated. Keep your home warm with sustainably sourced wood, dried and ready to burn.

We also offer free delivery to all of the local areas around Leicester including Oadby, Wigston, Evington, Braunstone Town, Thurmaston and Birstall. Whether you live near Leicester Cathedral, along the Watermead Country Park, or in a countryside village, we’ll bring your logs right to your door.

You might’ve seen our delivery vans near Victoria Park, Leicester Market, or out on the A47. Whether you’re in a Victorian terrace near the town centre or a rural farmhouse on the outskirts, we’re here to keep your firewood topped up all year round.

Send us a picture of one of our vans in Leicester and we’ll add some free firelighters to your next order!

Leicester’s deep-rooted history with wood and fire is woven through its medieval commons, industrial evolution, community firefighting efforts, and modern environmental practices.

Medieval Woodlands & Commons Rights

Leicester Forest, a vast medieval royal forest west of the city, provided wood for heating and construction. From Domesday (“Hereswode”) through the 13th century, townspeople had rights to gather firewood in the ‘Frith’ areas, a legacy still echoed today in names like Leicester Forest East and West.

Woodgate: Timber Route into the City

The area known as Woodgate likely got its name from serving as a timber roadway, ferrying wood from Leicester Forest into the urban core.

Early Firefighting Efforts

In 1681, the borough council ordered the purchase of a Newsham fire engine; by 1744–1797 multiple fire engines had been acquired, including donations from fire offices like the Phoenix.

Though ad-hoc initially, by the early 19th century insurance companies coordinated fire precautions, while the council maintained municipal engines and held quarterly drills.

Victorian Fire Brigade & Stations

By 1876, Leicester’s new Town Hall incorporated premises for the fire brigade. As the city expanded, a dedicated Fire Brigade station was built on Rutland Street by 1892, marking the evolution toward a professional, municipal firefighting infrastructure

WWII & The Auxiliary Fire Service

During WWII, Leicester formed an Auxiliary Fire Service (AFS), staffed with thousands and dispersed across 17 substations. During the November 1940 Blitz, these crews tackled over 50 fires in a single night, deploying 103 pumps and 11 miles of hoses. Some AFS members later aided in Coventry, London, and other bombed cities

Fire in Archaeology & Architecture

Archaeological excavations at Leicester Castle unearthed 11th–12th century fire pits, used for cooking or heating in the motte-and-bailey era. Additionally, grand domestic architecture like The Knoll (near Leicester) features ornate inglenook fireplaces with copper hoods, highlighting the historical prestige of wood-fire warmth in affluent homes

Modern Smoke Control & Environmental Health

Leicester City Council has taken action to regulate domestic wood-burning:

Since 2018, Leicester has operated as a Smoke Control Area—requiring exempt stoves and fuels, with fines for smokiness

Ongoing projects use EarthSense’s fine-air sensors and modelling to monitor PM2.5 around wood-burning stoves and open fires, aiming to reduce emissions and safeguard public health