Rising near Wibtoft in Warwickshire, the River Soar is the principal river of Leicestershire and one of the main tributaries of the River Trent in the East Midlands. From its source – roughly midway between Hinckley and Lutterworth – it flows north through Leicester before continuing through the Leicestershire Soar Valley, passing Loughborough and Kegworth until it meets the Trent at the county boundary, where the river also forms the border between Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire.
Through the City
On the outskirts of Leicester, the Soar is joined by the River Sence near Enderby before meeting the Grand Union Canal at Aylestone, where the River Biam also enters. After passing over Freemens Weir, the river and canal split and recombine, creating the area known as Bede Island. The canalised eastern arm, running with parallel banks, is called The Mile Straight. Further north, beyond Blackfriars, the river divides again to form Frog Island and Abbey Park, before recombining at Belgrave, where it passes beside the National Space Centre.
Northward through Leicestershire
Beyond the city, the Soar passes through Birstall and the lakes of Watermead Country Park before reaching Wanlip. Near Cossington Mill it meets the River Wreake, with the Rothley Brook joining shortly downstream. The river continues north-east through Mountsorrel, then between Quorn and Barrow-on-Soar, before passing east of Loughborough at Cotes.
History and Name
In the 18th century the Soar was made navigable, first between Loughborough and the Trent, then extended south to Leicester. It was not until the early 19th century that the Grand Union Canal linked it to the wider waterway network and to London. The name itself belongs to a family of ancient European river names derived from a root meaning “to flow”, with related names found in Germany, France, Belgium, Spain, and Wales. One historical theory, put forward by William Somner in 1701, suggests the river may once have been called the Leir, from a Brittonic root also found in the French Loire – a theory supported by the names of Leicester, Loughborough, and the village of Leire all potentially deriving from that earlier river name.