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.[1]
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.[2] 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.[3]
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.”
| Status | Criteria | |
|---|---|---|
| I | Grade I listed. Bridge of exceptional interest, sometimes considered to be internationally important | |
| II* | Grade II* listed. Particularly important bridge of more than special interest | |
| II | Grade II listed. Bridge of national importance and special interest | |
| Scheduled Monument. Nationally important archaeological bridge. |
| data-sort-type="number" | River order | Name | Image | From /To Coordinates | Carries | Date | Heritage status | Notes & refs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Footbridge | Sharnford | Footpath | Footbridge downstream of Soar Brook confluence. | ||||
| 2 | Road Bridge | Sapcote | Main Street | Road to Frolesworth. | ||||
| 3 | Stoney Bridge | Sapcote | Fosse Way | First named bridge. | ||||
| 4 | Road Bridge | Broughton Astley | B581 | Coventry Road. | ||||
| 5 | Sutton Hill Bridge | Broughton Astley | B4114 | Coventry Road. | ||||
| 6 | Sopers Bridge & Footbridge | Croft | Footpath | align="center" | II | Sopers Bridge is located on an old course of the river. | ||
| 7 | Railway bridge | Croft | Stoney Stanton to Croft. | |||||
| 8 | Croft Bridge | Croft | Station Road | Modern road bridge. | ||||
| 9 | Footbridge | Croft | Footpath | Near Croft Quarry. | ||||
| 10 | Langham Bridge | Narborough | Coventry Road | Historic bridging point of Fosse Way. | ||||
| 11 | Railway bridge | Narborough | Upstream from Narborough station. | |||||
| 12 | Station Road Bridge | Littlethorpe | Station Road | Near Narborough Station. | ||||
| 13 | M1 Bridge | Narborough | Motorway bridge. | |||||
| 14 | Railway bridge | Enderby | Downstream of M1. | |||||
| 15 | Enderby Mill Bridge | Enderby | Footpath | 15th century | bgcolor= white style="color: black" | SM | Scheduled bridge with adjacent footbridge. | |
| 16 | Enderby Bridge | Enderby | Enderby Rd | Modern road bridge. | ||||
| 17 | Soar Valley Way | Enderby | A563 | Dual carriageway. | ||||
| 18 | Aylestone Packhorse Bridge | Aylestone | Footpath | 15th century | align="center" | II & SM | Scheduled packhorse bridge. | |
| 19 | Footbridge | Aylestone | Towpath | Crosses Soar where it joins with canal. | ||||
| 20 | Footbridge | Aylestone | Grand Central Way | Former Great Central Railway. | ||||
| 21 | Freestone Bridge | Aylestone | Braunstone Lane East | Braunstone Lane East. | ||||
| 22 | Parsons Bridge | Aylestone | Canal Street | Access road to Aylestone Meadows. | ||||
| 23 | Aylestone Mill | Aylestone | Aylestone Mill | Access road to Aylestone Meadows. | ||||
| 24 | Access bridge | Aylestone | Access road | Access road to industrial estate. | ||||
| 25 | Twelve Arches railway viaduct | Westcotes | Upstream of Freemans Weir. | |||||
| 26 | Footbridge across Old Soar | Bede Island | Towpath | Old River Soar - first crossing. | ||||
| 27 | Watkin Road Bridge | Bede Island | Access road | Old River Soar. | ||||
| 28 | Upperton Road Bridge | Bede Island | Upperton Road | Old River Soar. | ||||
| 29 | Great Central Way footbridge | Bede Island | Great Central Way | Former railway bridge over the Old River Soar - a disused bridge is adjacent. | ||||
| 30 | Footbridge | Bede Island | Footpath | Old Soar - Modern Footbridge. | ||||
| 31 | Western Boulevard | Bede Island | Road | Old Soar, site of demolished Braunstone Gate Bridge. | ||||
| 32 | Bow Bridge | Bede Island | A47 | 1863 | Old Soar-St Augustine Road bridge. | |||
| 33 | Upperton Road Bridge | Mile Straight | Upperton Road | 1890 | align="center" | II | One of four listed bridges on the Mile Straight. | |
| 34 | Swan Bridge | Mile Straight | Upperton Road | 109A Eastbound Modern bridge. | ||||
| 35 | Mill Lane bridge | Mile Straight | Mill Lane | 1890 | align="center" | II | One of four listed bridges on the Mile Straight. | |
| 36 | Newarke Bridge | Mile Straight | The Newarke | 1898 | align="center" | II | One of four listed bridges on the Mile Straight. | |
| 37 | Footbridge | Mile Straight | Footpath | Bridge 2A. | ||||
| 38 | West Bridge | Mile Straight | A47 | 1891 | align="center" | II | Historic bridging point, one of four listed bridges on the Mile Straight. | |
| 39 | West Bridge | Mile Straight | A47 | Eastbound Modern. | ||||
| 40 | Footbridge | Westcotes | Footpath | Evans Weir. | ||||
| 41 | Soar Lane bridge | Westcotes | Soar Lane | West side of Soar island. | ||||
| 42 | Footbridge | Soar Island | Towpath | Between Soar and Frog Island. | ||||
| 43 | North Bridge | Frog Island | A50 | Links Woodgate to Frog Island. | ||||
| 44 | St Margarets Way | Frog Island | A6 | Dual bridges. | ||||
| 45 | Footbridge | Abbey Park | Footpath | Concrete footbridge. | ||||
| 46 | Abbey Park Bridge | Abbey Park | Footpath | Ornamental footbridge. | ||||
| 47 | Abbey Corner Bridge | Abbey Park | Abbey Park Road | 1878 | align="center" | II | Abbey Park Road Bridge. | |
| 48 | Abbey Meadows footbridge | Abbey Meadows | Footpath | 2013 | Wolsey Point to National Space Centre | |||
| 49 | Holden Street footbridge | Belgrave | Footpath | 1985 | Refurbished in 2015. | |||
| 50 | Belgrave Bridge | Belgrave | Thurcaston Road | Probable 15th century | align="center" | II | Thurcaston Road Bridge (Old Bridge). | |
| 51 | New Bridge | Belgrave | Loughborough Road | 1834 | align="center" | II | Loughborough Road Bridge. | |
| 52 | Watermead Bridge | Rushey Mead | Watermead Way | A563. | ||||
| 53 | Birstall weir footbridge | Rushey Mead | Towpath | Curved weir and footbridge. | ||||
| 54 | Footbridge | Birstall | Footpath | Near Birstall Lock. | ||||
| 55 | Birstall Lock footbridge | Birstall | Footpath | One of a number of bridges at Birstall Lock. | ||||
| 56 | Birstall Lock footbridge | Birstall | Footpath | Bridge 14c. | ||||
| 57 | Footbridge | Birstall | Towpath | White Horse Lane. | ||||
| 58 | Footbridge | Watermead Country Park | Towpath | Bridge 16B, Thurmaston Weir. | ||||
| 59 | Footbridge | Watermead Country Park | Towpath | Downstream of Thurmaston Lock. | ||||
| 60 | Footbridge | Watermead Country Park | Towpath | Crosses Soar where it splits with canal. | ||||
| 61 | Footbridge | Watermead Country Park | Footpath | King Lears Lake. | ||||
| 62 | Pochin Bridge | Wanlip | A46 | Leicester Western Bypass. | ||||
| 63 | Cossington footbridge | Cossington | Towpath | Above Cossington Lock. | ||||
| 64 | Cossington Bridge | Cossington | Cossington Lane | c. 1800 | align="center" | II | Listed bridge. | |
| 65 | Sileby Lock footbridges | Sileby | Towpath | Series of three footbridges. | ||||
| 66 | Sileby Mill footbridge | Sileby | Towpath | Sileby Mill. | ||||
| 67 | A6 bridge | Mountsorrel | A6 | One of four A6 crossings. | ||||
| 68 | Sileby Lane bridge | Mountsorrel | Sileby Lane | East of Mountsorrel. | ||||
| 69 | Mountsorrel mineral railway bridge | Mountsorrel | Conveyor | 1860 | align="center" | II | 1860 bridge - Brick bridge. | |
| 70 | Mountsorrel turnover Bridge 26 | Mountsorrel | Towpath | Carries towpath from one bank to the other. | ||||
| 71 | A6 bridge | Mountsorrel | A6 | One of four A6 crossings. | ||||
| 72 | Footbridge | Barrow upon Soar | Towpath | Crosses over weir. | ||||
| 73 | Footbridge | Barrow upon Soar | Footpath | Between Barrow and A6. | ||||
| 74 | A6 bridge | Barrow upon Soar | A6 | One of four A6 crossings. | ||||
| 75 | A6 bridge | Quorn | A6 | One of four A6 crossings. | ||||
| 76 | Mill Lane bridge | Barrow upon Soar | Mill Lane | Navigation Inn. | ||||
| 77 | Barrow Lock bdg | Barrow upon Soar | Proctors Park Road | Minor road. | ||||
| 78 | Barrow Road Bridge | Barrow upon Soar | Bridge Street | 1845 | align="center" | II | Listed bridge. | |
| 79 | Pillings Lock rail bdg | Barrow upon Soar | Railway bridge. | |||||
| 80 | Cotes Bridge | Cotes | A60 | 18th century | align="center" | II | Nottingham Road. | |
| 81 | Footbridge | Cotes | Footpath | One of two footbridges at this point. | ||||
| 82 | Footbridge | Cotes | Footpath | One of two footbridges at this point. | ||||
| 83 | Stanford on Soar | 1899 | Skewed central arches. | |||||
| 84 | Meadow Lane Bridge | Stanford on Soar | Meadow Lane | Minor road. | ||||
| 85 | Railway bridge | Stanford on Soar | Major rail bridge. | |||||
| 86 | Zouch footbridges | Zouch | Footpath | A series of three footbridges over the weirs at Zouch. | ||||
| 87 | Zouch Bridge | Zouch | A6006 | County Bridge, due for replacement. | ||||
| 88 | Kegworth Bridge | Kegworth | Station Road | 1785 | align="center" | II | Grade II bridge, widened in 1937. | |
| 89 | Kegworth footbridge | Kegworth | Towpath | Carries towpath across the river. | ||||
| 90 | A453 Bridge | Ratcliffe-on-Soar | A453 | Remembrance Way. | ||||
| 91 | Ratcliffe on Soar Ford | Ratcliffe-on-Soar | Bridleway | Ford across the Soar. | ||||
| 92 | Soar Mouth | Ratcliffe-on-Soar | Trent Lock ferry | In the 1900s a ferry crossed from the Soar to Trent Lock at the Trent confluence, carrying horses and passengers.[4] |