Cossington Meadows
Nature Reserves, Country Parks & Beaches · Loughborough, Leicestershire
No reviews yet
Open now — closes 11.59pm
🌳 Outdoor🆓 Free entry🌲 Woodland
What’s there
- Free parking
- Dogs welcome
Cars can be parked off the road outside the main entrance on Syston Road or in the small public car park adjacent to Cossington Parish Church. Head west out of Cossington on Syston Road towards Rothley, the reserve is on your right, north of the road.
Only facilities we’ve confirmed are listed — anything missing here we simply haven’t checked, rather than know to be absent.
Cossington Meadows is a 89-hectare wetland haven run by Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust, lying next to the River Soar just west of Cossington village. Deep pools and scrapes attract wildfowl such as gadwall, tufted duck, mallard, wigeon and teal, with wintering geese and swans, while Barn Owls hunt over the meadows at dusk. Kingfisher, grey heron, lapwing and kestrel are regularly seen, and summer brings dragonflies and butterflies along the paths. Entry is free, the reserve is always open, and there is roadside parking outside the main entrance or in the small car park by Cossington Parish Church. Dogs welcome on a lead and grazing livestock may be present - a lovely spot for a family winter walk or year-round nature spotting.
Best for birdwatching in winter when wigeon, teal, geese and swans gather and owls hunt over the meadows; spring and summer are best for dragonflies, butterflies and breeding birds. During heavy winter rains the river floods and shallow pools form on the reserve.
Stuff to take with you
The things people wish they’d packed for a day out like this one.
- Wellies
- Refillable water bottleMost places will fill it for free.
- Snacks that survive a rucksackCheaper than the café, and buys you twenty minutes.
- Wet wipes
- Backseat organiser
- Reusable cutlery
- Torch
- Insect repellent
- Tissues
- Rucksack
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