Pre-History or Legend?
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.
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 15 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 the Auroch, 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.
Page Last Updated: 13 January 2011
