Watermead Country Park is one of our favorite places for running in Leicester. The park is located 4 miles north of the city center and part of the northern section of the River Soar trails. It’s a haven for wildlife (200 species of birds!) with nature reserves and wetland habitats, tranquil lakes, and wildflower meadows. There’s an extensive network of cycle and footpaths around several lakes. The path surfaces are a mix of paved, gravel, and grass, with varying widths. 

King Lears Lake. Mat Fascione

We’ve put together a 10k “loop” which covers most of Watermead, allowing for loops around several lakes. You can also create your own route — use this excellent trail map. We start just south of the Mammoth Lake car park at Nature Lake. Run on the River Soar path by Nature Lake, and then along the east side of Mammoth Lake. Rejoin the River Soar path, to Trilakes, which is a series of small lakes. Run on the east side of Trilakes on the River Soar path for 0.5 miles, and then another 0.5 miles on the east side of King Lears Lake (where King Lear is buried — there’s a statue) along the Grand Union Canal Path. Finally, run along John Merrick’s Lake. For the return, use the paths mainly on the west side of the lakes. 

Add-Ons: A narrow paved path continues north along the Grand Union Canal for several miles toward Crossington. Or run the River Soar paths south of Watermead Way.