LEI Country

Watermead Country Park

Location Plans

Watermead North Pay on Entry car park - SK606107 - view in Multimap or Streetmap format.
Watermead West car park - SK602096 - view in Multimap or Streetmap format.
(Meadow Lane, Birstall)
Watermead South car park - SK602085 - view in Multimap or Streetmap format.
(off A607 Melton Road)

Permanent Orienteering Course available

View details of this and other Permanent Orienteering Courses

The history of this area is a bit vague. Initially the park area was used as farmland in as far as being in the Soar Valley flood plain permitted, and later for gravel extraction. In 1989 the park was developed from the disused gravel pits.

Excavations were undertaken in 1996 at a gravel extraction quarry now lying within the park, after wardens found human remains in peat disturbed by the quarrying. Research uncovered remains of part of an ancient bridge which appeared to be crossing a peat-filled channel, perhaps an old course of the river Soar. Also there were the remains of cooking activity consisting of a stone lined hearth; a circular trough with its base lined with planks; a smaller, charcoal-filled pit and a large spread of fire-cracked flints and ash.

Also found were various animal bones including Aurochs which are thought to have died out by about 1000 BC. Domesticated cattle are believed to be devolved from these early oxen.

The life size Mammoth sculpture on top of a small mound overlooking the lakes, reminds us of times when our ancestors shared this area with these magnificent creatures as well. The prehistoric remains found on this site also include bison and deer, all discovered during the gravel extraction process. These remains are thought to date back to the last ice age.

The park is a 140 hectare natural oasis bordered by built up areas, apart from its northern tip which offers the prospect of further extension as present gravel extraction comes to an end. It is a haven for wildlife and a peaceful stretch of countryside with the mapped area extending for nearly 2 miles. Many of the paths are surfaced making it an ideal site for Trail-O. Our area includes the park proper, managed by Leicestershire County Council, Leicester City Council and Charnwood Borough Council in partnership, former Severn Trent scrublands and Watermead Ecology Park, managed for the city council by Environ Trust (Groundwork Leicester and Leicestershire)as they do the community woodlands within the southern end of the park proper.

The Park is developing one of the largest reed bed areas in the Midlands and as its name suggests it is a wetland area with over 12 lakes and smaller ponds. Running through the Park are the River Soar and Grand Union Canal which provide an essential corridor for wildlife but also make route choice a major consideration in navigating round the area.

Boats are known to have used the River Soar since the Roman times. During the 19th Century, however, the river became a significant commercial waterway following works to improve the navigation between Loughborough and Leicester. The Leicester Navigation Bill received its Royal Assent in May 1791 and work started to improve the River Soar / Grand Union Canal with the navigation finally opening in 1794.

The heyday for the canal was in the 1820's and 1830's when it was the most profitable navigation in the whole of the UK, transporting goods to and from London. This booming waterways trade aided significant development in Leicester. When the railways came to Leicester the commercial use of the canal faded away and today it is used almost exclusively by recreational boats.

Overall there is a mix of mature and semi-mature trees and shrubs forming a contrast to the open expanses of water, with reeds and other flora adding to the appearance of an untouched natural environment. However it is all man made and would not exist in its present form if it had not been for the period of gravel extraction. The south (City) part of the park forms a part of the Watermead South Local Nature Reserve, as designated in March 2005.

There are many different insects to be found, perhaps the most spectacular being the large dragonflies and smaller brightly coloured damselflies flitting over the lakes in the summer months. Voles, mink, mice, bats and foxes have been seen and roach, tench, perch, carp and pike are some of the species of fish which are to be found.

Newts, frogs and toads abound and countless species of birds are to be seen. 175 species of bird have been recorded, including the resident Tufted Duck, Mallard, Black Headed Gull, Sparrow Hawk, Kestrel and Kingfisher. In the winter you may well see the Shoveler, Teal and Goldeneye ducks and in the summer see swifts skim across the water or the Common Tern waiting to dive for fish. A very rare but welcome transient is the Osprey. Geese and swans are found in such numbers as to be more than a bit of a nuisance.

Bird hides are throughout the park and to the west of the park are meadows and scrapes managed by the Leicestershire & Rutland Wildlife Trust. Here on the Wanlip Meadows Reserve (a restored gravel pit) numerous species have been recorded. The birds do not recognise boundaries and obviously move freely between this reserve and Watermead but recording their presence on the reserve does give indications of those present on the area. To the east of the park and across the canal are further lakes, not part of the park but adding to this wildlife sanctuary.

Recorded are hundreds of Greylag Geese and Teal, a single Garganey and a number of Shelducks and Oystercatchers. A juvenile Hobby was spotted and some young little-Ringed Plovers and a young Little Owl. Seen in considerable numbers were Golden Plover and Lapwing (Green Plover or Pee Wit). More unusual visitors were Redshank, Greenshank, Dunlin, Black-tailed Godwit, Curlew, Green Sandpiper, Wood Sandpiper, Yellow-legged Gull, Mediterranean Gull, Common Tern, Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, Kingfisher, Whinchat and Redstart.

At its southern end Watermead forms part of the City's Riverside Park which runs through the centre of Leicester and out as far as Fosse Park. Watermead has just participated in a successful bid for funds from the Big Lottery Fund via a TV programme and will receive around £700,000 out of the £50 million. It is expected that this figure will double after Leicestershire County Council and other local organisations provide further matched funding. The money would be used to create new cycle and pedestrian links between Watermead Park and surrounding villages, as well as improving bridges within the park for cyclists and people with mobility problems

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