Aylestone Meadows, Leicester

I live near a river meadow, which acts as the flood plain for the River Soar. The meadows are cut through by the Grand Union Canal and the River Soar. It is possible to walk into the city along the canal, or out of the city all the way to London. The track of the old Grand Central Railway also runs through the meadow; another path or cycleway into the city. The area is known as Aylestone Meadows and I walk there often. It is lovely in places, scary in others but is a sanctuary for birds and animals, runners and dog walkers. I have twice seen a kingfisher and today I saw a green woodpecker and a kestrel, so close I could have touched him. There is a mediaeval packhorse bridge and one lock further south from this, a cottage that sells lunches and teas in the summer. It sounds idyllic and it almost is. Electricity pylons march across the landscape, bringing power to the city and the vast Fosse Park shopping complex is visible from the teashop garden. Traffic from the ring road hums in the background. Human wildlife is the worst aspect. Drugs are openly dealt and cottaging a pre-occupation of single men. Fortunately, this happens largely in one car park area, so can be avoided. A man has offered to show me his willy (no thanks) and a retired sub mariner stopped me to express his concerns about submarine activity in the area. It's pretty safe but I'm careful where and when I walk. I talked about the area with a friend and we thought about whether women ever 'cottage'. Somehow, the idea seemed both ridiculous and funny. Any ideas why?