[1] From the main entrance of St Martins House walk straight ahead until you reach St Martins West and turn right. At Peacock Lane turn left. Take the first turning on your right which is New Street. Immediately to your left is the entrance to the council car park where the remains of King Richard III were found.
(A) King Richard III,who is reputed to have murdered the princes in the Tower, was killed in the Battle of Bosworth in 1485. His body was brought back to Leicester and buried at Greyfriars. The Monastery ceased to exist with the dissolution of the monasteries and knowledge of Richard's burial place was lost. The skeleton was found in the summer of 2012 and confirmed to be Richard III a few months later.
[2] Continue down New Street, cross Friar Lane and keep walking straight, down Wycliffe Street.
[3] When you come to the T-junction turn right and walk along Millstone Lane. When you come to a bend to the right by the Criterion pub keep going straight across the pavement and turn right as far as the traffic lights and cross Oxford Street by these lights. On the other side of the main road follow the path to the left, it then it bends round to the right.
Take care crossing Oxford Street as there is always heavy traffic along the inner ring road.
(B) You are entering the Newarke ("New Work") which was a religious precinct laid out in the fourteenth century. There were two gateways to the precinct originally but only one survives, that is the Magazine Gateway which you can see on your left, built in 1410.
[4] You are now in the De Montfort University Campus with the Hugh Aston Building on your left. The Leicester Business School and the De Montfort Law School are in this building. Opposite is the Newarke Houses Museum.
(C) 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 is a set of Daniel Lambert's clothes.
[5] Walk down the Newarke away from the Magazine Gateway and pass the turning "Castle View" to your right, look up Castle View, you can't see the Castle from here but you can see the spire of St Mary de Castro and the arch over the road is the Turret Gateway. Continue walking along the Newarke passing Trinity House on your right and the Hawthorn Building on your left.
(D) Turret Gateway was the original south entrance to the castle bailey and was built in 1422 - 23. It is now in ruins.
(E) 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.
(F) In 1890 the Hawthorn Building brought together the School of Art (founded 1869), the technical school and pharmacy classes being run in the city. A new wing was added in 1927. It became Leicester Polytechnic in 1969 when it amalgamated with the Teacher Training College in Scraptoft and was renamed De Montfort University in 1992. The University currently has 27,000 students.
[6] Continue walking down the Newarke there are the former factories 'Portland Shoes' and 'Beautex', now the Portland Building and the John Whitehead Buildings of De Montfort University respectively. There is also the small "Chantry Building " which was part of the Hospital of the Annunciation built in 1331. Pass the entrance to Castle Gardens on your right. Cross the River Soar on the bridge. The modern building on the right just after the bridge is the new Trinity Hospital Almshouses. The road bends round to the right and at the T-junction turn right to walk down Western Boulevard.
[7] Cross Western Boulevard at the traffic lights and walk straight ahead on a footpath along the left bank of another branch of the River Soar - this branch is known as the "Old River Soar". The path is signposted "Great Central Way" as it is on the route of the old Great Central Railway. Keep on this path until you reach a park. First you come to a white monument in a circle, have a look at the maps drawn on the surface it is called "Making a Place".
[8] This is Bede Park and continue walking along the River and then bear left to walk round the children's play area, keeping the play area on your right. Turn left when you come to Martin Ryan Walk and walk towards the old Pumping Station tower.
Alternative Route: When you reach Bede Park turn left along the side of the Park if time is short. You pick up the main route when you walk by Tesco Express.
(G) Bede Park has an annual Riverside Festival in early June. In 2013 it will be on June 1st and 2nd. It is free and has activities for children, stalls and music including "Leicester Sing for Water" raising money for WaterAid.
[9] Walk out of the Park and turn left towards Tesco Express which is in the old Pumping Station building. Turn right to cross Western Boulevard at the set of traffic lights nearest Tesco Express and go down the steps (there is also a ramp) on the left hand side of the Mill Lane bridge.
[10] At the towpath turn left and walk northwards. On your right along the far river bank are the buildings of De Montfort University. Continue walking passing the Soar Point Bar on your right and under The North Bridge. On your right on the far river bank is the Castle Mound and below it Castle Gardens. Walk until you come to the metal pedestrian bridge by the Colourworks Restaurant.
Look out for cyclists along the towpath who might come up behind you without warning.
(H) The River Soar has been "canalised" here. It forms part of the Grand Union Canal and is known as "Mile Straight".
[11] Walk up the steps to the metal pedestrian bridge, (there is also a ramp on the far side) go over the bridge and turn left when you get into Castle Gardens. Keep on the paths and walk towards the statue of King Richard III (likely to be moved in the future to a new location).
[12] Walk out of the Castle Gardens Gate on to St Augustine Road and turn right walking along the pavement with the Holiday Inn on your left. Cross Castle Street and continue straight crossing Southgates by the traffic lights.
Take care crossing as there is always heavy traffic here.
[13] The road becomes Peacock Lane, cross Peacock Lane at the traffic lights and continue walking straight. Turn left at the St Martins House car park.