Watermead South Local Nature Reserve includes the southern end of Watermead Country Park, Birstall Meadows and Watermead Ecology Park.
The Reserve is at the northern end of the Riverside green corridor through Leicester, as shown on the map below. The site can be reached from the riverside path and National Cycle Route 6, and from Birstall Lock (White Horse Lane, Birstall). There are also access points from Oakland Avenue and Alderton Close, off Melton Road - regular buses 5 and 6 from the city centre.
The site is very good for water birds - common tern nest
on the island in the northern lake; heron, kingfisher, grey wagtail,
great crested grebe, tufted duck, mute swan and moorhen are all present;
reed warblers, sedge warblers and reed buntings nest in the willow
carr, or scrub. There is also some attractive species-rich grassland and
marsh, with plants such as yellow rattle, ox-eye daisy, pepper
saxifrage, crow garlic, knapweed, greater bird’s-foot trefoil and tufted
vetch. In 2010, the site was host to
Bioblitz, a 24-hour wildlife survey, where 535 different species were identified.
Conservation projects have been completed on the site such as
willow coppicing and wetland management with volunteers working with the
Groundwork Trust.
Please visit the following pages for more information:
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Watermead Country Park lies to the north of Watermead Way and to the east of the River Soar, and is noted for its wetlands created on
former gravel pits.
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Birstall Meadows are flower-rich damp meadows grazed by cattle or horses, lying to the west of the River Soar.
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Watermead Ecology Park is a secluded site located at the end of Oakland Avenue.
For more information about Watermead South Local Nature
Reserve, please telephone: 0116 229 3631 (City Council) and 0116 22 0235
(Groundwork).
