The History of Watermead

Sand and gravel for the concrete industry have been extracted from the valley of the River Soar for many years. In the early 1980s the Leicestershire County, Leicester City and Charnwood Borough Councils joined forces to reclaim the area's derelict pits for recreation. Over the last 20 years much work has been done to create the attractive countryside that now exists.

During the extraction of sand and gravel there was a very important archaeological discovery. Two human skulls, probably dating from the Bronze Age, and the bones of an Aurochs, a primitive wild ox, were found on the other side of the river from King Lear's Lake.

Associated with these finds was a "burnt mound", a primitive cooking stove. Stones were heated in a fire and then plunged into water to produce steam and hot water to cook food.

The main lake at Watermead is King Lear's Lake and has been named after the legend of King Lear, who ruled Britain in the 8th century. On his death he was buried in a chamber under the River Soar - possibly close to this lake! The statues, built on a platform in the lake, show the final scene from Shakespeare's play of King Lear.