New Walk is a promenade in the city of

Leicester Leicester ( ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city, Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority and the county town of Leicestershire in the East Midlands of England. It is the largest settlement in the East Midlands. The city l ...

, which connects the areas around Victoria Park (including

Stoneygate Stoneygate is part of the City of Leicester, England. Situated on the south-east side of the city some two miles from the centre, Stoneygate is a mainly residential suburb characterised by its large Victorian houses. It straddles the London Roa ...

, Evington and Clarendon Park) to the city centre. The promenade is a rare surviving example of a Georgian promenade. The walk is just under a mile long. A number of buildings sit along New Walk, including office buildings for the Leicester Mercury, Leicester Museum & Art Gallery and Holy Cross Priory.

History

The

Corporation of Leicester Leicester City Council is a unitary authority responsible for local government in the city of Leicester, England. It consists of 54 councillors, representing 22 wards in the city, overseen by a directly elected mayor. It is currently contro ...

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. 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. 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.

References

External links

* * {{Commons category-inline, New Walk, Leicester History of Leicester