Soar-Wreake-GUC, Wanlip to Cossington
Selected Wild Place / Other Wild Places / Public Rights of Way / VC55 boundary
At the southern end parking is available at the north end of Watermead Park and also for patrons at the carpark for the canalside Hope and Anchor public house. At the northern end parking is available in laybys along the road linking Cossington to Rothley and also on the short access road off this road to Cossington Old Mill, please park here with consideration leaving access for residents.
This wild places lies within both Wanlip and Cossington Civil Parishes.
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 two mile long section of navigable waterway consists of three sections. From the southern end a straight section of canal runs north from the Hope and Anchor public house in Wanlip, after two-thirds of a mile this joins the River Wreake and proceeds westwards, followed by the confluence with the River Soar and a lock and weir at Cossington Old Mill. There is a towpath-footpath along the eastern-northern bank of the navigable waterway throughout. Between Wanlip and Cossington the Soar follows a course close to the western edge of the valley floodplain and there is no public access to this stretch of the River. After periods of heavy rain, especially in winter months, this route may become very muddy and at times impassable due to flooding.
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), 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.
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