New Walk, Leicester

New Walk is a promenade in the city of Leicester, which connects the areas around Victoria Park (including Stoneygate, Evington and Clarendon Park) to the city centre.[1] The promenade is a rare surviving example of a Georgian promenade. The walk is just under a mile long.[2] A number of buildings sit along New Walk, including office buildings for the Leicester Mercury, New Walk Museum and Holy Cross Priory.[3]

A view of a portion of New Walk

History

The Corporation of Leicester laid out the route in 1785. It is believed that an ancient Roman track-way called the Via Devana pre-dated the promenade and that this track-way formed the basis for the route. The original plan of the route was to connect the area which is now Welford Road to the then racecourse - which was later developed into Victoria Park. Open its foundation, it was named Queen's Walk in honor of Queen Charlotte. The new name was adopted later at an unknown date.[1]

Houses were built alongside New Walk for the first time in the 1820s. The houses were built at a distance, set by the Corporation, of 'no less than 10 yards' from the path.[1]

The promenade was solely for the use of pedestrians - no carriages were allowed to use New Walk. The route still remains pedestrianized and is not open to vehicles of any kind. A number of controversies regarding the use of the promenade by cyclists have arisen in recent years.[4]

References
  1. "New Walk - Story of Leicester". www.storyofleicester.info. Retrieved 2019-06-24.
  2. "NEW WALK, LEICESTER, City of Leicester - 1000963 | Historic England". historicengland.org.uk. Retrieved 2019-06-24.
  3. "Maps | Friends of New Walk, Leicester, UK". www.friendsofnewwalk.com. Retrieved 2019-06-24.
  4. Smith, Kerry (24 June 2019). "Leicester Mercury". Leicester Mercury.
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