GPS Cycle and Walking Routes

Watermead Country Park

5 miles (8 km)

This beautiful country park contains over 12 lakes and ponds, wildflower meadows, woodland, grassland and reedbeds set in 350 acres of parkland. Also running through the park are the River Soar and Grand Union Canal. It's a great place for a peaceful waterside cycle ride or walk, located just north of Leicester city centre with National Cycle Network Routes 6 and 48 running through the park. The park also contains the lovely Reedbed Nature Reserve which is a perfect place for bird watching.
To continue your exercise you could follow the Grand Union Canal towards Leicester or Loughborough. Our River Soar Walk visits the park by following the river from the lovely Abbey Park, located just to the south of Watermead.

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Watermead Country Park OS Map - Mobile GPS OS Map with Location tracking

Watermead Country Park Open Street Map - Mobile GPS Map with Location tracking

Further Information and Other Local Ideas

Head south along the river and you could visit Aylestone Meadows. The large local nature reserve has more nice riverside trails with grazing horses and lot of wildlife to see.
If you head south east towards Oadby and Wigston there's a pleasant community orchard and pretty meadows to explore at Brocks Hill Country Park.
For more walking ideas in the area see the Leicestershire Walks page.

Photos

Watermead Country Park, Leicester - geograph.org.uk - 473502

Watermead Country Park, Leicester

Watermead Country Park. - geograph.org.uk - 377509

Footpath in the park. Thurmaston is visible in the background.

Watermead Country Park - geograph.org.uk - 1560558

Looking towards the Melton Road car park at the southern end of the Country Park. This clearly shows the proximity to the lakeside industrial estate in Thurmaston where a marina used by school groups has grown up. Sand and gravel have been extracted from the valley of the River Soar for many years. In the early 1980s the Leicestershire County, Leicester City and Charnwood Borough Councils joined forces to begin to reclaim the area’s derelict pits for recreation and nature conservation creating this important recreational facility for North East Leicester.

Narrow boats at Watermead Country Park - geograph.org.uk - 48516

Narrow boats at Watermead Country Park. From the footbridge, South of King Lear Lake

Sluice gates by Thurmaston Lock - geograph.org.uk - 2652750

Sluice gates by Thurmaston Lock on the eastern side of the park.

River Soar and canal near Thurmaston, Leicestershire (geograph 5975485)

River Soar and canal near Thurmaston

Birstall Lock and the Grand Union Canal - geograph.org.uk - 3913228

Birstall Lock and the Grand Union Canal

Footbridge over the River Soar weir, Watermead Country Park - geograph.org.uk - 1560579

Footbridge over the River Soar weir, Watermead Country Park. The River Soar on the left, which is part of the Grand Union Canal navigation at this point, and the overflow pond on the right

Video

GPS Files

GPX File

Watermead Country Park.gpx (On Desktop:Right Click>'Save As. On Ipad/Iphone:Click and hold>Share>Save to Files')

Memory Map Route

Watermead Country Park.mmo (On Desktop:Right Click>'Save As. On Ipad/Iphone:Click and hold >Share>Save to Files)