Watermead Park Towpath
Watermead Country Park, LeicesterAlong the River Soar
Passable
Watermead Park Towpath is currently passable.
The river’s 1.37 m below the level where parts of this path can start to flood.
Over the past year, though, the river topped the level where this path usually floods on one day, mostly in December and February to March.
Updated Holding steady over the last 4 h
River level at the gauge
1.40 mASDmeasured
River Wreake at Syston · 1.7 km away
See Environment Agency’s own readings for this gauge
Flood lines for this path: parts can start to flood at 2.77 mASD · usually properly flooded above 3.13 mASD
The river’s running low for this gauge — below its usual range.
This flood line starts from this gauge’s measured history — the level the river only tops a few days a year. Reports of a flooded or passable day will tune it to the path itself.
Through the year
Over the past year the river topped the level where this path is usually flooded on one day, mostly in December and February to March.
It also reached the lower level where parts of this path can start to flood on about 12 more days.
From this gauge’s own record over the year to July 2026, measured against the level we estimate this path floods at. It’s a guide to the season, not a forecast.
About this path
The Soar Navigation towpath and National Cycle Route 6 thread through Watermead's chain of lakes between Birstall and Thurmaston, meeting the Wreake at the park's northern end. The park sits on the floodplain and has closed repeatedly for flooding — most recently in September 2024 and January 2025, when the Soar drew a severe danger-to-life warning.
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From people on the ground
No reports yet. If you’ve been down, you’d be the first.
Flood Path is advisory and not safety-critical — river readings come from public feeds with no guarantee, and conditions can change fast in heavy rain. Use your own judgement on the day.