New Walk

Ignore the map it would not agree to Leicester being a place and kept defaulting to London. I lost the plot attempting to move the marker twice. You all know where Leicester is approximately.

When I first came across New Walk itself I was amazed..it just did not fit..a beautiful road that seemed to belong in one of the more secluded areas of London yet it crosses over a motorway and a railway! Tree lined with cafes and a pub.

Late 18th Century urban public walk, extending for 1,100 metres, developed in the 19th Century with residences and some public buildings. New Walk is a charming and idyllic route for thousands of people who walk in the city, connecting the railway station with the centre of the town. It is the home of a variety of wildlife including foxes and squirrels, and is lined with a rich heritage of architecture. Probably the first pedestrian walk of its kind in the country.

Originally known as Queen’s Walk, New Walk was laid out in 1785 by Leicester Corporation as a pedestrian way (which it still is), connecting the town from the area of Welford Place with the racecourse.
The proviso was maintained, that houses should have no vehicular access from New Walk, and must be set back at least 10m from the footway. Residential buildings were at first put up along New Walk in a piecemeal manner, totalling 60 by 1847. Public buildings included the Roman Catholic Chapel, 1817-18, by Joseph Ireland; the Liberal Meeting Hall (1831); the Nonconformist Proprietary School (1836, by J A Hansom.

Three open spaces were attached to New Walk: Museum Square, to the west of the railway; and to the east, De Montfort Square (with a Statue of Robert Hall, 1870, by J Bimie Philip) and the Oval. More systematic building of houses took place in the 1850s and 1860s. Many properties were converted to office and business use in the 20th century.

In 1969 New Walk was designated a Conservation Area. Considerable repair and improvement to property since then, and replanting of trees along New Walk and its related squares. A further ongoing concern is to encourage only appropriate renovation and redevelopment of what has been rightly described as “the jewel in Leicester’s crown”.

A little oasis of calm and culture in the city.