Soar-GUC, Loughborough to Zouch
Selected Wild Place / Other Wild Places / Public Rights of Way / VC55 boundary
There is a small car park at Bishop's Meadow Lock but the access to this is over and old hump-backed bridge [SK 528210] then via a short road along the towpath that is restricted to residents and people with permanent moorings on the Canal, this should be respected. On street parking within the industrial estate on the southwestern side of the canal is the alternative. At Zouch there is a small car park [SK505234] off the A6006.
Trends and Recent Developments along the navigable watercourse from Leicester to the Trent are as follows
A colony of the Scarce Chaser Dragonfly was discovered near Ratcliffe on Soar in 2016, with 12 individuals present in 2018. The nearest other sightings in VC55 are at Rutland Water.
The Willow Emerald Damselfly was first reported in VC55 in 2019 at the Eye Brook Reservoir Inflow and then from Watermead. This species is likely to spread to the whole Soar Valley in next 2-3 years. Most sightings are in September, the species prefer overhanging willows which are abundant.
Garden Angelica has spread northwards through much of the Soar Valley in recent years, the large globe-shaped flower-heads of this umbellifer are distinctive.
Corbicula flaminea, The Asian Clam is an accidentally introduced species speading south along the Soar Valley.
Please be sure to report any sightings of these species
Site species count:
This 2.5 mile section of the River Soar - Grand Union Canal runs from Bishop's Meadow Lock in Loughborough northwestwards to Zouch. The initial part is canalised and skirts an industrial estate before the confluence with the River Soar. From this point northwards to the Trent the Leicestershire/Nottinghamshire county boundary follows the mid-point of the river channel. The River flows past the water frontage of Normanton on Soar (on the Notts bank) with its church dominating the skyline. At Zouch the river course is diverted via a weir around the village. Throughout there is a footpath along the southwestern (Leics) bank of the river except for within the village of Zouch. After periods of heavy rain especially in winter months this route may become very muddy and at times impassable due to flooding. With the county boundary in the mid-stream position please ensure any records you enter refer to sightings within Leicestershire and their grid references plot within the county.
Birds
Herons, Cormorant, Kingfisher, Common Tern, Grey Wagtail. Swift, House and Sand Martin and Swallow.
Trees and Plants
Willow family several species, Alder, water meadows rich in flowers and grasses.
Water Margins: Purple Loosestrife, Indian Balsam. Garden Angelica (recent colonist, centre picture above), Lesser Celandine, Marsh Thistle, Marsh Woundwort, Water Mint, Water Figwort.
Aquatics: Arrowhead, Water Plantain, Floating Pennywort (a nuisance) and Yellow Water-lily (consult individual species pages for flowering season and known distributions)
Insects
Butterflies all common widely distributed species, Dragonflies Southern, Brown and Migrant Hawker, Emperor, Black-tailed Skimmer, all 3 Chasers and Ruddy and Common Darters. Damselflies Beautiful Demoiselle, Common Blue, Blue-tailed, Large Red and Red-eyed Damselfly (favours lily pads). (Look at individual species pages for flight seasons)
Molluscs Giant Ramshorn, River Snail, Swan and Duck Mussel plus the invasive Zebra Mussel and Asian Clam.
Fish Perch, Pike, Tench and Roach
The records and images below may include those from adjacent sites if the grid reference submitted with these records overlaps the boundary of this Wild Place.
The latest images and records displayed below include those awaiting verification checks so we cannot guarantee that every identification is correct. Once accepted, the record displays a green tick.
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