Aylestone Meadows 3.71

Aylestone Meadows is an 8.8 hectare Local Nature Reserve in Leicester. It is owned and managed by Leicester City Council.It is Leicester's largest nature reserve situated on the floodplains of the River Soar and River Biam along with several locks of the Grand Union Canal. It has a high wildlife conservation value, and has trails that are popular venue with hikers, families on outings, dog walkers and cyclists. Many species of plant and wildlife live amongst the patchwork of flood meadows, woodland and wetlands 1.6 miles from the city centre.Two hundred and fifty thousand years after the Ice Age, the River Soar followed the course of the River Bytham and is now one of the primary sources of the occasional flooding of the meadows. It is home to bird and wildlife together with rare and common flora.A medieval packhorse bridge provides evidence of trade and previous populations. As this area was the site of floodplains, resulting in fertile land and good grazing areas, a settlement grew from prehistoric times to become the village of Aylestone. The construction of the Packhorse Bridge from local granite enabled transportation of goods across an area prone to flooding and includes several passing areas.