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.^[1][2]

Bridge over the River Soar, Abbey Park, Leicester

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.^[3] 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.^[4]

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.”^[5]

Crossings

Key to heritage status

Status	Criteria[6]
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
SM	Scheduled Monument. Nationally important archaeological bridge.

River order	Name	Image	From /To Coordinates	Carries	Date	Heritage status	Notes & refs
1	Footbridge		Sharnford 52.52412°N 1.28196°W / 52.52412; -1.28196 (Footbridge)	Footpath			Footbridge downstream of Soar Brook confluence.[7]
2	Road Bridge		Sapcote 52.52461°N 1.28064°W / 52.52461; -1.28064 (Road Bridge)	Main Street			Road to Frolesworth.[7]
3	Stoney Bridge		Sapcote 52.53219°N 1.25908°W / 52.53219; -1.25908 (Stoney Bridge)	Fosse Way			First named bridge.[7]
4	Road Bridge		Broughton Astley 52.54030°N 1.24810°W / 52.54030; -1.24810 (Road Bridge)	B581			Coventry Road.[7]
5	Sutton Hill Bridge		Broughton Astley 52.54199°N 1.24790°W / 52.54199; -1.24790 (Sutton Hill Bridge)	B4114			Coventry Road.[7]
6	Sopers Bridge & Footbridge		Croft 52.54778°N 1.25741°W / 52.54778; -1.25741 (Sopers Bridge & Footbridge)	Footpath		II	Sopers Bridge is located on an old course of the river.[7][8]
7	Railway bridge		Croft 52.55671°N 1.25097°W / 52.55671; -1.25097 (Railway bridge)	Birmingham to Peterborough Line			Stoney Stanton to Croft.[7]
8	Croft Bridge		Croft 52.55864°N 1.24698°W / 52.55864; -1.24698 (Croft Bridge)	Station Road			Modern road bridge.[7]
9	Footbridge		Croft 52.55835°N 1.24202°W / 52.55835; -1.24202 (Footbridge)	Footpath			Near Croft Quarry.[7]
10	Langham Bridge		Narborough 52.56825°N 1.21669°W / 52.56825; -1.21669 (Langham Bridge)	Coventry Road			Historic bridging point of Fosse Way.[9]
11	Railway bridge		Narborough 52.56800°N 1.21168°W / 52.56800; -1.21168 (Railway bridge)	Birmingham to Peterborough Line			Upstream from Narborough station.[9]
12	Station Road Bridge		Littlethorpe 52.57081°N 1.20342°W / 52.57081; -1.20342 (Station Road Bridge)	Station Road			Near Narborough Station.[10]
13	M1 Bridge		Narborough 52.57136°N 1.19342°W / 52.57136; -1.19342 (M1 Bridge)	M1 Motorway			Motorway bridge.[10]
14	Railway bridge		Enderby 52.57592°N 1.18856°W / 52.57592; -1.18856 (Railway bridge)	Birmingham to Peterborough Line			Downstream of M1.[10]
15	Enderby Mill Bridge		Enderby 52.58069°N 1.18962°W / 52.58069; -1.18962 (Enderby Mill Bridge)	Footpath	15th century	SM	Scheduled bridge with adjacent footbridge.[10][11]
16	Enderby Bridge		Enderby 52.58145°N 1.18858°W / 52.58145; -1.18858 (Enderby Bridge)	Enderby Rd			Modern road bridge.[10]
17	Soar Valley Way		Enderby 52.59594°N 1.17007°W / 52.59594; -1.17007 (Soar Valley Way)	A563			Dual carriageway.[12]
18	Aylestone Packhorse Bridge		Aylestone 52.60326°N 1.16288°W / 52.60326; -1.16288 (Aylestone Packhorse Bridge)	Footpath	15th century	II & SM	Scheduled packhorse bridge.[12][13]
19	Footbridge		Aylestone 52.60338°N 1.16229°W / 52.60338; -1.16229 (Footbridge)	Towpath			Crosses Soar where it joins with canal.[12]
20	Footbridge		Aylestone 52.60383°N 1.16117°W / 52.60383; -1.16117 (Footbridge)	Grand Central Way			Former Great Central Railway.[12]
21	Freestone Bridge		Aylestone 52.60466°N 1.15944°W / 52.60466; -1.15944 (Freestone Bridge)	Braunstone Lane East			Braunstone Lane East.[12]
22	Parsons Bridge		Aylestone 52.60698°N 1.15359°W / 52.60698; -1.15359 (Parsons Bridge)	Canal Street			Access road to Aylestone Meadows.[12]
23	Aylestone Mill		Aylestone 52.60995°N 1.14646°W / 52.60995; -1.14646 (Aylestone Mill)	Aylestone Mill			Access road to Aylestone Meadows.[12]
24	Access bridge		Aylestone 52.61101°N 1.14346°W / 52.61101; -1.14346 (Access bridge)	Access road			Access road to industrial estate.[14]
25	Twelve Arches railway viaduct		Westcotes 52.61987°N 1.14656°W / 52.61987; -1.14656 (Twelve Arches railway viaduct)	Leicester–Burton upon Trent line			Upstream of Freemans Weir.[15]
26	Footbridge across Old Soar		Bede Island 52.62435°N 1.14354°W / 52.62435; -1.14354 (Footbridge across Old Soar)	Towpath			Old River Soar - first crossing.[16]
27	Watkin Road Bridge		Bede Island 52.62534°N 1.14485°W / 52.62534; -1.14485 (Watkin Road Bridge)	Access road			Old River Soar.[15]
28	Upperton Road Bridge		Bede Island 52.62572°N 1.14532°W / 52.62572; -1.14532 (Upperton Road Bridge)	Upperton Road			Old River Soar.[15]
29	Great Central Way footbridge		Bede Island 52.62661°N 1.14641°W / 52.62661; -1.14641 (Great Central Way footbridge)	Great Central Way			Former railway bridge over the Old River Soar - a disused bridge is adjacent.[15]
30	Footbridge		Bede Island 52.62816°N 1.14639°W / 52.62816; -1.14639 (Footbridge)	Footpath			Old Soar - Modern Footbridge.[15]
31	Western Boulevard		Bede Island 52.63194°N 1.14426°W / 52.63194; -1.14426 (Western Boulevard)	Road			Old Soar, site of demolished Braunstone Gate Bridge.[15]
32	Bow Bridge		Bede Island 52.63397°N 1.14425°W / 52.63397; -1.14425 (Bow Bridge)	A47	1863		Old Soar-St Augustine Road bridge.[15]
33	Upperton Road Bridge		Mile Straight 52.62562°N 1.14310°W / 52.62562; -1.14310 (Upperton Road Bridge)	Upperton Road	1890	II	One of four listed bridges on the Mile Straight.[16][17]
34	Swan Bridge		Mile Straight 52.62604°N 1.14302°W / 52.62604; -1.14302 (Swan Bridge)	Upperton Road			109A Eastbound Modern bridge.[16]
35	Mill Lane bridge		Mile Straight 52.62875°N 1.14260°W / 52.62875; -1.14260 (Mill Lane bridge)	Mill Lane	1890	II	One of four listed bridges on the Mile Straight.[16][18]
36	Newarke Bridge		Mile Straight 52.63110°N 1.14226°W / 52.63110; -1.14226 (Newarke Bridge)	The Newarke	1898	II	One of four listed bridges on the Mile Straight.[16][19]
37	Footbridge		Mile Straight 52.63262°N 1.14205°W / 52.63262; -1.14205 (Footbridge)	Footpath			Bridge 2A.[16]
38	West Bridge		Mile Straight 52.63362°N 1.14219°W / 52.63362; -1.14219 (West Bridge)	A47	1891	II	Historic bridging point, one of four listed bridges on the Mile Straight.[16][20]
39	West Bridge		Mile Straight 52.63380°N 1.14239°W / 52.63380; -1.14239 (West Bridge)	A47			Eastbound Modern.[16]
40	Footbridge		Westcotes 52.63761°N 1.14498°W / 52.63761; -1.14498 (Footbridge)	Footpath			Evans Weir.[15]
41	Soar Lane bridge		Westcotes 52.63821°N 1.14546°W / 52.63821; -1.14546 (Soar Lane bridge)	Soar Lane			West side of Soar island.[15]
42	Footbridge		Soar Island 52.63979°N 1.14566°W / 52.63979; -1.14566 (Footbridge)	Towpath			Between Soar and Frog Island.[21]
43	North Bridge		Frog Island 52.64293°N 1.14414°W / 52.64293; -1.14414 (North Bridge)	A50			Links Woodgate to Frog Island.[22]
44	St Margarets Way		Frog Island 52.64421°N 1.14053°W / 52.64421; -1.14053 (St Margarets Way)	A6			Dual bridges.[22]
45	Footbridge		Abbey Park 52.64456°N 1.13973°W / 52.64456; -1.13973 (Footbridge)	Footpath			Concrete footbridge.[22]
46	Abbey Park Bridge		Abbey Park 52.64688°N 1.13685°W / 52.64688; -1.13685 (Abbey Park Bridge)	Footpath			Ornamental footbridge.[22]
47	Abbey Corner Bridge		Abbey Park 52.64904°N 1.13423°W / 52.64904; -1.13423 (Abbey Corner Bridge)	Abbey Park Road	1878	II	Abbey Park Road Bridge.[22][23]
48	Abbey Meadows footbridge		Abbey Meadows 52.65265°N 1.13237°W / 52.65265; -1.13237 (Abbey Meadows footbridge)	Footpath	2013		Wolsey Point to National Space Centre
49	Holden Street footbridge		Belgrave 52.65551°N 1.12563°W / 52.65551; -1.12563 (Holden Street footbridge)	Footpath	1985		Refurbished in 2015.[22]
50	Belgrave Bridge		Belgrave 52.66082°N 1.12833°W / 52.66082; -1.12833 (Belgrave Bridge)	Thurcaston Road	Probable 15th century	II	Thurcaston Road Bridge (Old Bridge).[22][24]
51	New Bridge		Belgrave 52.66297°N 1.12685°W / 52.66297; -1.12685 (New Bridge)	Loughborough Road	1834	II	Loughborough Road Bridge.[22][25]
52	Watermead Bridge		Rushey Mead 52.66664°N 1.11827°W / 52.66664; -1.11827 (Watermead Bridge)	Watermead Way			A563.[22]
53	Birstall weir footbridge		Rushey Mead 52.67210°N 1.11430°W / 52.67210; -1.11430 (Birstall weir footbridge)	Towpath			Curved weir and footbridge.[26]
54	Footbridge		Birstall 52.67265°N 1.11380°W / 52.67265; -1.11380 (Footbridge)	Footpath			Near Birstall Lock.[26]
55	Birstall Lock footbridge		Birstall 52.67378°N 1.11620°W / 52.67378; -1.11620 (Birstall Lock footbridge)	Footpath			One of a number of bridges at Birstall Lock.[26]
56	Birstall Lock footbridge		Birstall 52.67381°N 1.11596°W / 52.67381; -1.11596 (Birstall Lock footbridge)	Footpath			Bridge 14c.[26]
57	Footbridge		Birstall 52.67459°N 1.11690°W / 52.67459; -1.11690 (Footbridge)	Towpath			White Horse Lane.[27]
58	Footbridge		Watermead Country Park 52.67865°N 1.10240°W / 52.67865; -1.10240 (Footbridge)	Towpath			Bridge 16B, Thurmaston Weir.[27]
59	Footbridge		Watermead Country Park 52.67968°N 1.10195°W / 52.67968; -1.10195 (Footbridge)	Towpath			Downstream of Thurmaston Lock.[27]
60	Footbridge		Watermead Country Park 52.68362°N 1.10116°W / 52.68362; -1.10116 (Footbridge)	Towpath			Crosses Soar where it splits with canal.[27]
61	Footbridge		Watermead Country Park 52.68564°N 1.10588°W / 52.68564; -1.10588 (Footbridge)	Footpath			King Lears Lake.[27]
62	Pochin Bridge		Wanlip 52.69668°N 1.10837°W / 52.69668; -1.10837 (Pochin Bridge)	A46			Leicester Western Bypass.[28]
63	Cossington footbridge		Cossington 52.70954°N 1.12005°W / 52.70954; -1.12005 (Cossington footbridge)	Towpath			Above Cossington Lock.[2]
64	Cossington Bridge		Cossington 52.71130°N 1.12090°W / 52.71130; -1.12090 (Cossington Bridge)	Cossington Lane	c. 1800	II	Listed bridge.[29]
65	Sileby Lock footbridges		Sileby 52.72724°N 1.12400°W / 52.72724; -1.12400 (Sileby Lock footbridges)	Towpath			Series of three footbridges.[2]
66	Sileby Mill footbridge		Sileby 52.72832°N 1.12547°W / 52.72832; -1.12547 (Sileby Mill footbridge)	Towpath			Sileby Mill.[2]
67	A6 bridge		Mountsorrel 52.73220°N 1.13450°W / 52.73220; -1.13450 (A6 bridge)	A6			One of four A6 crossings.[2]
68	Sileby Lane bridge		Mountsorrel 52.73119°N 1.14021°W / 52.73119; -1.14021 (Sileby Lane bridge)	Sileby Lane			East of Mountsorrel.[2]
69	Mountsorrel mineral railway bridge		Mountsorrel 52.73294°N 1.14292°W / 52.73294; -1.14292 (Mountsorrel mineral railway bridge)	Conveyor	1860	II	1860 bridge - Brick bridge.[5]
70	Mountsorrel turnover Bridge 26		Mountsorrel 52.73541°N 1.14451°W / 52.73541; -1.14451 (Mountsorrel turnover Bridge 26)	Towpath			Carries towpath from one bank to the other.[2]
71	A6 bridge		Mountsorrel 52.73934°N 1.14263°W / 52.73934; -1.14263 (A6 bridge)	A6			One of four A6 crossings.[2]
72	Footbridge		Barrow upon Soar 52.74573°N 1.14457°W / 52.74573; -1.14457 (Footbridge)	Towpath			Crosses over weir.[2]
73	Footbridge		Barrow upon Soar 52.74367°N 1.14652°W / 52.74367; -1.14652 (Footbridge)	Footpath			Between Barrow and A6.[2]
74	A6 bridge		Barrow upon Soar 52.74240°N 1.14790°W / 52.74240; -1.14790 (A6 bridge)	A6			One of four A6 crossings.[2]
75	A6 bridge		Quorn 52.74830°N 1.15861°W / 52.74830; -1.15861 (A6 bridge)	A6			One of four A6 crossings.[2]
76	Mill Lane bridge		Barrow upon Soar 52.74590°N 1.14733°W / 52.74590; -1.14733 (Mill Lane bridge)	Mill Lane			Navigation Inn.[2]
77	Barrow Lock bdg		Barrow upon Soar 52.74981°N 1.15265°W / 52.74981; -1.15265 (Barrow Lock bdg)	Proctors Park Road			Minor road.[2]
78	Barrow Road Bridge		Barrow upon Soar 52.75081°N 1.15303°W / 52.75081; -1.15303 (Barrow Road Bridge)	Bridge Street	1845	II	Listed bridge.[30]
79	Pillings Lock rail bdg		Barrow upon Soar 52.75970°N 1.16350°W / 52.75970; -1.16350 (Pillings Lock rail bdg)	Midland Main Line			Railway bridge.[2]
80	Cotes Bridge		Cotes 52.78026°N 1.18025°W / 52.78026; -1.18025 (Cotes Bridge)	A60	18th century	II	Nottingham Road.[31]
81	Footbridge		Cotes 52.78939°N 1.19466°W / 52.78939; -1.19466 (Footbridge)	Footpath			One of two footbridges at this point.[2]
82	Footbridge		Cotes 52.78857°N 1.19518°W / 52.78857; -1.19518 (Footbridge)	Footpath			One of two footbridges at this point.[2]
83	Stanford Viaduct		Stanford on Soar 52.79030°N 1.19740°W / 52.79030; -1.19740 (Stanford Viaduct)	Great Central Railway (heritage railway)	1899		Skewed central arches.[2]
84	Meadow Lane Bridge		Stanford on Soar 52.79063°N 1.19849°W / 52.79063; -1.19849 (Meadow Lane Bridge)	Meadow Lane			Minor road.[2]
85	Railway bridge		Stanford on Soar 52.79370°N 1.21650°W / 52.79370; -1.21650 (Railway bridge)	Midland Main Line			Major rail bridge.[2]
86	Zouch footbridges		Zouch 52.80618°N 1.24575°W / 52.80618; -1.24575 (Zouch footbridges)	Footpath			A series of three footbridges over the weirs at Zouch.[2]
87	Zouch Bridge		Zouch 52.80448°N 1.25606°W / 52.80448; -1.25606 (Zouch Bridge)	A6006			County Bridge, due for replacement.[2]
88	Kegworth Bridge		Kegworth 52.84034°N 1.26906°W / 52.84034; -1.26906 (Kegworth Bridge)	Station Road	1785	II	Grade II bridge, widened in 1937.[32]
89	Kegworth footbridge		Kegworth 52.84183°N 1.26706°W / 52.84183; -1.26706 (Kegworth footbridge)	Towpath			Carries towpath across the river.[2]
90	A453 Bridge		Ratcliffe-on-Soar 52.85784°N 1.26459°W / 52.85784; -1.26459 (A453 Bridge)	A453			Remembrance Way.[2]
91	Ratcliffe on Soar Ford		Ratcliffe-on-Soar 52.85903°N 1.26538°W / 52.85903; -1.26538 (Ratcliffe on Soar Ford)	Bridleway			Ford across the Soar.[2]
92	Soar Mouth		Ratcliffe-on-Soar 52.87313°N 1.26829°W / 52.87313; -1.26829 (Soar Mouth)	Trent Lock ferry			In the 1900s a ferry crossed from the Soar to Trent Lock at the Trent confluence, carrying horses and passengers.[33][2]