River Soar

The River Soar winds through Leicestershire as the county’s main river and a key tributary of the Trent. It begins midway between Hinckley and Lutterworth, flowing north through farmland and villages before reaching Leicester. The river meets the Grand Union Canal at Aylestone, where the waterway splits to form Bede Island. Beyond the city it passes Abbey Park and the National Space Centre, then threads through Watermead Country Park’s lakes near Wanlip. The Soar’s long history as a transport route goes back to 1794, when the Leicester Canal opened and made the river navigable for boats. Later branches linked Melton Mowbray and Oakham to the Soar, while the Charnwood Forest Branch tried to carry coal. The river once ran pink from textile dyes but has been cleaned up by the Environment Agency, restoring wildlife and water quality. A walk along the Soar shows its gentle power and changing scenery. In Leicester the river splits around Bede Island, then rejoins near Belgrave beside the National Space Centre. Out in the countryside it passes Mountsorrel and Quorn, where the canal still branches off towards Loughborough. Further north the river forms the county boundary before joining the Trent near Ratcliffe-on-Soar.