LEI Country

Ayelstone Riverside Park

Location Plans

Canal Street car park - SK573014 - view in Multimap or Streetmap format.
North car park (Riverside College) - SK568018 - view in Multimap or Streetmap format.
South car park (near 'Black Horse') - SK569009 - view in Multimap or Streetmap format.

This is the southern end of Leicester's Riverside Park. The Riverside is a twelve-mile long green corridor running through the city along the river Soar and the Grand Union Canal and a focus for regeneration in the City. It is regionally important for wildlife and comprises a network of open spaces, nature reserves and parks. It has a range of cycle paths and footpaths, and is subject to constant change due to a number of the regeneration projects along the river and canal corridors. New planting have matured into a warren of intricate copses but many are being cut back due to antisocial behaviour in the area.

This area runs from the ring road by Fosse Park through to St Mary's Mill lock by the Ivanhoe rail line. The area immediately to its north is mapped as Abbey & Riverside Parks and continues north on our third map of Watermead Park.

This southern section is cut by Braunstone Lane East but can be crossed either under by the tow path of the canal or over via the bridge carrying a long distance trail along the old track bed of the Great Central Railway. Previously running from London to Manchester this line closed in 1963 but in the 1980s became a cycle and foot way which is now part of the National Cycle Network.

The area includes a number of reclamation sites. There is the site of an old gas works and what was its employees sports ground. South of Braunstone Lane there is the remains of a demolished sports pavilion on what used to be extensive playing fields and to the north and east Aylestone Meadows Local Nature Reserve was a municipal tip until 1960s. The west side of this reserve runs along the valley of the River Biam.