New Walk has been at the heart of the City for 235 years. Before that it had been originally laid out as a Roman road, the Via Devana. It has been a fundamental part of the historic development of the current City southwards, providing a pedestrian walkway linking the City Centre to Victoria Park and the southern suburbs.
Lined by a wide variety of businesses, churches, the Museum and residential properties, it also has one of the best hotels in Leicester, the Belmont. Certainly the best perambulation in Leicester.
The Walk is a community in its own right. A unique mixed use quarter of the City where nearly all the major building styles of that 235 year history are compressed together. The mix works as they are tied together by the Walk; the regular frontage line of the buildings; the relatively consistent scale; and, of course, the deciduous trees, which set the scale and particularly when in leaf dominate the vista. And it is also that eclectic mix of buildings and styles, along with its 3/4 mile length, including 4 public spaces, (The Oval, De Montfort & Museum Squares and New Walk Place) that makes it unique in the country as well; so adding to the distinctive character of Leicester."
Winter 2020 Museum Square
Now, in a continuing series of improvements trialled in the New Walk Conservation Area Management Plan and published by Leicester City Council in September 2020 work, supported by the Friends of New Walk, is already well under way in Museum and De Montfort Squares, integral parts of the Walk.
For those who are interested you can find out so much more from the Friends of New Walk charity web site: https://www.friendsofnewwalk.com."
The charity lobby to maintain and improve the Walk, as well as raise monies for some projects, such as public art of which the latest is the Writers Block paving in New Walk Place.
Peter Wilkinson
Chairman Friends of New Walk and MD Landmark Planning
