List of crossings of the River Soar


This is a list of crossings of the River Soar, the principal river of Leicestershire in the Midlands of England. Listed in the table are those crossings that have been identified downstream of the Soar Brook confluence, near Sharnford, to the last crossing near Ratcliffe-on-Soar upstream of Soar Mouth where the river meets the Trent.
At Aylestone in Leicester the Grand Union Canal meets the Soar, to form the Soar Navigation. Downstream from this point the navigation and river become intertwined with weirs and bypass channels, one prominent section is the Mile Straight constructed for flood alleviation in the 1890s. It has four listed crossings along its length, including Upperton Road, Mill Lane, Newarke, and West Bridge. The current West Bridge built in 1891, replaced an earlier stone bridge with four arches, that once had a bridge chapel. Crossing the Old Soar nearby, is Bow Bridge, although rebuilt in 1863, the earlier medieval bridge was strongly associated with the local folklore surrounding the death of Richard III.
Other notable crossings include the scheduled packhorse bridges at Aylestone and Enderby Mill, with the bridges at Cossington, Barrow, Cotes and Kegworth all being Grade II listed. Near Mountsorrel, a listed red brick bridge from 1860 has been described as “an impressive local landmark.”

Crossings

River orderNameImageFrom /To
Coordinates		CarriesDateHeritage
status		Notes & refs
1FootbridgeSharnford
FootpathFootbridge downstream of Soar Brook confluence.
2Road BridgeSapcote
Main StreetRoad to Frolesworth.
3Stoney BridgeSapcote
Fosse WayFirst named bridge.
4Road BridgeBroughton Astley
B581Coventry Road.
5Sutton Hill BridgeBroughton Astley
B4114Coventry Road.
6Sopers Bridge & FootbridgeCroft
FootpathIISopers Bridge is located on an old course of the river.
7Railway bridgeCroft
Birmingham to Peterborough LineStoney Stanton to Croft.
8Croft BridgeCroft
Station RoadModern road bridge.
9FootbridgeCroft
FootpathNear Croft Quarry.
10Langham BridgeNarborough
Coventry RoadHistoric bridging point of Fosse Way.
11Railway bridgeNarborough
Birmingham to Peterborough LineUpstream from Narborough station.
12Station Road BridgeLittlethorpe
Station RoadNear Narborough Station.
13M1 BridgeNarborough
M1 MotorwayMotorway bridge.
14Railway bridgeEnderby
Birmingham to Peterborough LineDownstream of M1.
15Enderby Mill BridgeEnderby
Footpath15th centurySMScheduled bridge with adjacent footbridge.
16Enderby BridgeEnderby
Enderby RdModern road bridge.
17Soar Valley WayEnderby
A563Dual carriageway.
18Aylestone Packhorse BridgeAylestone
Footpath15th centuryII & SMScheduled packhorse bridge.
19FootbridgeAylestone
TowpathCrosses Soar where it joins with canal.
20FootbridgeAylestone
Grand Central WayFormer Great Central Railway.
21Freestone BridgeAylestone
Braunstone Lane EastBraunstone Lane East.
22Parsons BridgeAylestone
Canal StreetAccess road to Aylestone Meadows.
23Aylestone MillAylestone
Aylestone MillAccess road to Aylestone Meadows.
24Access bridgeAylestone
Access roadAccess road to industrial estate.
25Twelve Arches railway viaductWestcotes
Leicester–Burton upon Trent lineUpstream of Freemans Weir.
26Footbridge across Old SoarBede Island
TowpathOld River Soar - first crossing.
27Watkin Road BridgeBede Island
Access roadOld River Soar.
28Upperton Road BridgeBede Island
Upperton RoadOld River Soar.
29Great Central Way footbridgeBede Island
Great Central WayFormer railway bridge over the Old River Soar - a disused bridge is adjacent.
30FootbridgeBede Island
FootpathOld Soar - Modern Footbridge.
31Western BoulevardBede Island
RoadOld Soar, site of demolished Braunstone Gate Bridge.
32Bow BridgeBede Island
A471863Old Soar-St Augustine Road bridge.
33Upperton Road BridgeMile Straight
Upperton Road1890IIOne of four listed bridges on the Mile Straight.
34Swan BridgeMile Straight
Upperton Road109A Eastbound Modern bridge.
35Mill Lane bridgeMile Straight
Mill Lane1890IIOne of four listed bridges on the Mile Straight.
36Newarke BridgeMile Straight
The Newarke1898IIOne of four listed bridges on the Mile Straight.
37FootbridgeMile Straight
FootpathBridge 2A.
38West BridgeMile Straight
A471891IIHistoric bridging point, one of four listed bridges on the Mile Straight.
39West BridgeMile Straight
A47Eastbound Modern.
40FootbridgeWestcotes
FootpathEvans Weir.
41Soar Lane bridgeWestcotes
Soar LaneWest side of Soar island.
42FootbridgeSoar Island
TowpathBetween Soar and Frog Island.
43North BridgeFrog Island
A50Links Woodgate to Frog Island.
44St Margarets WayFrog Island
A6Dual bridges.
45FootbridgeAbbey Park
FootpathConcrete footbridge.
46Abbey Park BridgeAbbey Park
FootpathOrnamental footbridge.
47Abbey Corner BridgeAbbey Park
Abbey Park Road1878IIAbbey Park Road Bridge.
48Abbey Meadows footbridgeAbbey Meadows
Footpath2013Wolsey Point to National Space Centre
49Holden Street footbridgeBelgrave
Footpath1985Refurbished in 2015.
50Belgrave BridgeBelgrave
Thurcaston RoadProbable 15th centuryIIThurcaston Road Bridge.
51New BridgeBelgrave
Loughborough Road1834IILoughborough Road Bridge.
52Watermead BridgeRushey Mead
Watermead WayA563.
53Birstall weir footbridgeRushey Mead
TowpathCurved weir and footbridge.
54FootbridgeBirstall
FootpathNear Birstall Lock.
55Birstall Lock footbridgeBirstall
FootpathOne of a number of bridges at Birstall Lock.
56Birstall Lock footbridgeBirstall
FootpathBridge 14c.
57FootbridgeBirstall
TowpathWhite Horse Lane.
58FootbridgeWatermead Country Park
TowpathBridge 16B, Thurmaston Weir.
59FootbridgeWatermead Country Park
TowpathDownstream of Thurmaston Lock.
60FootbridgeWatermead Country Park
TowpathCrosses Soar where it splits with canal.
61FootbridgeWatermead Country Park
FootpathKing Lears Lake.
62Pochin BridgeWanlip
A46Leicester Western Bypass.
63Cossington footbridgeCossington
TowpathAbove Cossington Lock.
64Cossington BridgeCossington
Cossington Lanec. 1800IIListed bridge.
65Sileby Lock footbridgesSileby
TowpathSeries of three footbridges.
66Sileby Mill footbridgeSileby
TowpathSileby Mill.
67A6 bridgeMountsorrel
A6One of four A6 crossings.
68Sileby Lane bridgeMountsorrel
Sileby LaneEast of Mountsorrel.
69Mountsorrel mineral railway bridgeMountsorrel
Conveyor1860II1860 bridge - Brick bridge.
70Mountsorrel turnover Bridge 26Mountsorrel
TowpathCarries towpath from one bank to the other.
71A6 bridgeMountsorrel
A6One of four A6 crossings.
72FootbridgeBarrow upon Soar
TowpathCrosses over weir.
73FootbridgeBarrow upon Soar
FootpathBetween Barrow and A6.
74A6 bridgeBarrow upon Soar
A6One of four A6 crossings.
75A6 bridgeQuorn
A6One of four A6 crossings.
76Mill Lane bridgeBarrow upon Soar
Mill LaneNavigation Inn.
77Barrow Lock bdgBarrow upon Soar
Proctors Park RoadMinor road.
78Barrow Road BridgeBarrow upon Soar
Bridge Street1845IIListed bridge.
79Pillings Lock rail bdgBarrow upon Soar
Midland Main LineRailway bridge.
80Cotes BridgeCotes
A6018th centuryIINottingham Road.
81FootbridgeCotes
FootpathOne of two footbridges at this point.
82FootbridgeCotes
FootpathOne of two footbridges at this point.
83Stanford ViaductStanford on Soar
Great Central Railway 1899Skewed central arches.
84Meadow Lane BridgeStanford on Soar
Meadow LaneMinor road.
85Railway bridgeStanford on Soar
Midland Main LineMajor rail bridge.
86Zouch footbridgesZouch
FootpathA series of three footbridges over the weirs at Zouch.
87Zouch BridgeZouch
A6006County Bridge, due for replacement.
88Kegworth BridgeKegworth
Station Road1785IIGrade II bridge, widened in 1937.
89Kegworth footbridgeKegworth
TowpathCarries towpath across the river.
90A453 BridgeRatcliffe-on-Soar
A453Remembrance Way.
91Ratcliffe on Soar FordRatcliffe-on-Soar
BridlewayFord across the Soar.
92Soar MouthRatcliffe-on-Soar
Trent Lock ferryIn the 1900s a ferry crossed from the Soar to Trent Lock at the Trent confluence, carrying horses and passengers.