This walk has a number of busy roads, please take care when crossing and walking beside them. Use pedestrian crossings where possible.
Some of the pavements and paths are uneven in places - take care.
[1] Stand outside the main entrance, facing the car parks. Turn right and bear left around the service road past the east entrance to reach the junction with the main access road. Go right.
[2] Where this road bends left keep straight on, crossing over at a zebra crossing into the minor road which leads past a fenced area to reach the main Groby Road.
[3] Turn right to cross over this busy road at the pedestrian crossing and turn left towards the traffic island.
[4] Turn right onto New Parks Way and continue forward, crossing Kemp Road, to the pedestrian crossing.
(A) Just in the corner of Kemp Road / New Parks Way, in the trees, is a ventilation shaft for the old Glenfield railway tunnel. Glenfield Tunnel was engineered by Robert Stephenson and was completed in 1832. It is just under a mile long and connected the Leicestershire coalfields with markets in Leicester and further afield. Passengers were able to travel from Leicester West Bridge to Glenfield, Ratby, Desford, Coalville and beyond. The passenger service finished in 1928 and the line finally closed in 1966
[5] Cross over New Parks Way and bear left on the path, crossing over New Parks Boulevard and continue forward onto Dillon Way.
[6] At the end cross over left onto Dillon Road and continue forward, bearing right round the bend, crossing Amhurst Close to take Stenson Road and continue forward.
(B) On the left is another ventilation shaft for the Glenfield railway tunnel.
[7] Take the third road on the left - Birkenshaw Road - and continue to the end.
[8] Turn right onto Copeland Avenue and then after 20 metres take the tree-lined path on your right and continue forward, going right at the path junction to reach Brunel Avenue. Continue to the far end of Brunel Avenue.
An alternative route to avoid the steep hill and to shorten the route to 1.5miles is to go left up an alleyway instead of taking the tree-lined path to the right. Go up the steps to join Groby Road then right to cross the road at the pedestrian crossing. Go left up the hill to the island. Cross Glenfrith Way at the pedestrian crossing and take the path straight in front to return to the hospital access road which brings you to the start.
[9] Turn right onto Darlington Road and continue forward up the hill to the end.
[10] At the top of the hill turn right onto Bonney Road and continue forward past a few shops on the left. crossing Stenson Road.
[11] After another 300 metres the road curves slightly right to a 't' junction and immediately after that the crossroads by the tunnel vent where you cross to the left and go up Dillon Road. Almost immediately, take the next right onto Dillon Way.
[12] You are now on your outward path. Continue up Dillon Way to cross New Parks Way at the pedestrian crossing. Turn right to continue along New Parks Way to the island then left to the pedestrian crossing on Groby Road to retrace the route back to the start.