[1] Walk straight ahead across the car park of St Martins House, towards the Cathedral out through the gate into St Martins West. Turn left. When you reach Guildhall Lane turn left.
(A) The Guildhall was thought to have been built in the early fifteenth century and served as the Town Hall until the current Town Hall was built in 1876. It is now a museum with free entry.
[2] At the T- junction with St Nicholas Place turn right and walk straight ahead with the BBC Radio Leicester headquarters on your right and an open-air car park on your left.
[3] Turn left at the pedestrian area at the beginning of High Street and walk along the pavement beside the shops towards the tower of St Nicholas Church on the other side of Vaughan Way.
[4] Cross Vaughan Way at the traffic lights.
Take care crossing this busy inner ring road.
[5] Walk along the side of St Nicholas Church and go up the steps of Harvey Walk to take the pedestrian overpass by the Holiday Inn. From the top of the steps look at the Jewry Wall, St Nicholas Church, Vaughan College and the Jewry Wall Museum.
(B) St Nicholas is the earliest church in Leicester as it is early Anglo-Saxon. First recorded bishop was in 679. Some Norman features survive the changes made in Victorian times.
(C) Jewry Wall stands beside the excavations of the Roman Public Baths. The origin of the name "Jewry Wall" is not known.
(D) Jewry Wall Museum has many remains from Roman Leicester; especially fine are the mosaic floors. Free entry. Check entry times. Closed November - January.
(E) Vaughan College which is part of Leicester University has short courses in a variety of subjects. There are no entry qualifications and some courses are free to people on benefit
[6] Continue walking along the overpass Harvey Walk with the Holiday Inn on your right and a multi-storey car park on your left until the end of the overpass and go down the steps turn immediately right and then left into Castle Street. Walk along Castle Street which bends round to the left, just after the bend turn right into Castle View. St Mary de Castro Church is on your left and Castle House to your right, walk through the arch into Castle Yard.
(F) St Mary de Castro (St Mary of the Castle) believed to have been built in 1107 and substantially enlarged 50 years later and many times since including the mid-nineteenth century. It is said that Chaucer married in this church and that John Wesley preached outside on Castle Green.
(G) Leicester Castle: behind the front which was added in 1695 is the original Norman Great Hall. It is said to be the oldest surviving aisled and bay-divided hall in Europe (Professor W.Horn quoted in Pevsner: The Buildings of England). It was built in 1150 and was the law courts for many years. The last trial was held in 1992. It is normally open to the public on the last weekend of the month.
[7] Continue along Castle View and walk under the Turret Gateway.
beware uneven cobbled surface.
(H) The Turret Gateway is in ruins. It was built in 1422 - 23 and was the south entrance to the bailey of the castle.
[8] At the end of Castle View pause and note the Newarke Houses Museum and the Magazine Gateway to your left.
(I) The Newarke ("New Work") was a religious precinct laid out in the fourteenth century. There was a large church, the only remains of it are a few stones in the basement of the Hawthorn Building of De Montfort University. There were two gateways to the precinct, only one survives and that is the Magazine Gateway which you can see on your right, built in 1410. The Newarke Houses Museum is composed of Wyggeston's Chantry House (the stone house) built about 1511 and Skeffington House built in 1600. Both have been altered over the years. The Museum has free entry and among the exhibits are Daniel Lambert's clothes.
[9] Turn right and walk down The Newarke away from the Magazine Gateway with the Hawthorn Building of De Montfort University on your left and Trinity House on your right.
(J) Trinity Hospital was founded in 1331, the only really old part that survives is the chapel most of the current building was built as an almshouse in 1901. The residents were moved out to modern accommodation by the river about 16 years ago and the building now houses offices of De Montfort University and has been renamed Trinity House.
[10] When Castle Gardens is reached on your right turn right into the Gardens and walk northwards parallel to the river with the Castle Mound on your right. This part of the river has been "canalised" so is also the Grand Union Canal. It is known as "Mile Straight". Turn left when you reach the pedestrian bridge over the river, go over the bridge turn right and walk down the steps to the right. At the towpath turn left and continue walking northwards towards West Bridge, go under bridge and continue on towpath.
n.b. Alternative route if time is short: as soon as you can leave the towpath walk on to King Richard III road. Take the gated footpath to your left just before the Kirby and West Depot you can just see the old railway signal at the far end of the path, walk towards it.
Continue along the towpath until you come to two bridges. The first is a pedestrian bridge which goes diagonally across the river. The second bridge is a road bridge.
Be alert for cyclists coming up behind you on the towpath.
[11] Turn left into Rally Park where the road bridge goes off to the right and take the path to your left walking along the edge of the Park. The path bends round to the left and walk with the houses of Tudor Road on your right and the back of the Kirby and West Building to your left. After approximately 400 metres you come to some railway track and an old signal.
Alternative route rejoins the walk here.
(K) Site of West Bridge Station. The original signal standing beside a piece of track is left as a reminder of the Leicester to Swannington railway line which was one of the first railways in Britain. It opened in 1832 and carried coal from the Leicestershire coalfield and granite from the Groby quarries into Leicester. The line closed in 1966.
[12] After 100 metres exit the park and join Saint Augustine Road)turn left and walk along the pavement. towards West Bridge. Cross over King Richard III Road at the traffic lights and continue along the pavement. Cross over the river on West Bridge. At the traffic lights bear left round St Nicholas Circle, Vaughan College will be on your left and the Holiday Inn on your right.
(L) Just before West Bridge there is a large circular structure on your left. This is the art nouveau terracotta from the entrance to the former Wholesale Fruit and Vegetable Market in Halford Street. The Market was demolished in 1972 and moved to Freemans' Common
[13] Just before St Nicholas Church take the footpath called St Nicholas Walk to your left walking along the back of Jewry Wall. When you reach Welles Street the Guru Nanek Gudwara will be in front of you. Turn right along Holy Bones and right again along Vaughan Way. Cross Vaughan Way at the traffic lights and you are now retracing your steps from the beginning of the walk.
Take care crossing Vaughan Way as there is always heavy traffic.
(M) The Sikh Museum in the Guru Nanek Gudwara is only open to groups by appointment. Phone 0116 254 7160
[14] Walk along the pavement of St Nicholas Place. At the High Street turn right and walk with BBC Radio Leicester on your left and an open-air car park on your right. Turn left down Guildhall Lane. Take the first right along St Martins West with the Cathedral on your left and the Guildhall on your right. Take the gate through the car park of St Martins House.