Leicestershire, links through Watermead Park
Watermead Country Park is a large willow-fringed, scenic park, thriving with wildlife and natural beauty and a convenient, peaceful retreat from nearby city life. This area, north of Leicester, is frequently flooded and criss-crossed with routes in varying states of repair. Connections with surrounding villages in Birstall, Thurmaston and Syston, had for some years given cause for concern.
The Sustrans' Connect2 Watermead Park scheme will replace out of date, steep and stepped bridges with new links, and more gentle approaches making them more accessible. Muddy old paths along and across the Soar will be improved with hard wearing, all weather surfaces. Direct new links will complement the winding routes that, until now, have been fine for birdwatchers and dog-walkers but of little use to people needing to get from A to B.
Two bridges have been built already at Birstall Lock connecting National Cycle Network Route 6 with Leicester Citys cycling network and Thurmaston Lock which was opened in 2009 as part of Connect2 Day celebrations. These bridges will improve access to and from the park for recreational use and everyday journeys on foot or by bike.
The scheme will provide a safe off-road link to surfaced paths within the Country Park and via established safe riverside routes National Cycle Network Route 6 and proposed Route 48 to Leicester city centre. These improvements would complement ongoing work to make Watermead one of the premier sites for disability access in the Midlands.
The next phase includes a canal-side section between the park and Syston which will also connect to National Cycle Network Route 48 Fosse 2. As well as surfacing the towpath, planned works include better crossings at Fillingate and Fosse Way and repairs to Meadow Lane. Finally, in 2012, the old bridge carrying the towpath over the River Wreake will be replaced, canal edges reinforced and the long anticipated connection made with Cossington.
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