This walk has a number of busy roads, please take care when crossing these and use pedestrian crossings where possible. Some of the paths are uneven - please take care
[1] Face the main entrance of the Peepul Centre in the car park at the back. Turn left and take the footpath into the park area. Just before the playground turn left onto a footpath and follow it past the grey building with the tall chimneys and turn left onto Donaldson Road. Then go right past some garages to where the road bends right. Go straight on across the car park to reach Belgrave Road.
Belgrave Road is the centre of the Asian retail district of Leicester. The jewellers and sari shops are very colourful, and if you like Asian food there are dozens of options to choose from.
Turn right up Belgrave Road, past the statue of Gandhi (A), crossing several streets. At the junction of Dorset Street there are public toilets.
[2] When you reach Cossington Street cross over at the traffic lights into Loughborough Road, which goes off diagonally to the right. Continue forward, over Portsmouth Road and Shaftesbury Avenue.
[3] At the next left turn cross over by the pedestrian lights and keep on down Holden Street, crossing Asha Margh. You will need to cross over Holden Street here, to remain on the pavement. Just before the road bends left go right down Ross Way, passing TS Tiger. Keep on down a pleasant walk with the river on the left and trees above.
(B) TS (Training Ship) Tiger is the headquarters of the Leicester sea cadet unit. It was founded in 1937 and is a charitable organisations that has helped thousands of youngsters learn about leadership, land and sea skills. They meet on Tuesday and Thursday evenings and are always keen to accept new recruits and volunteer helpers.
Eventually the walk curves right to become Vicarage Lane, but keep left and take the path along the river. After 70m, just past the green space, take the second path on the right up a ramp into the gardens of Belgrave Hall (C) See additional point of interest information. Continue past the stables then the back of Belgrave House, with the gardens on the left. Exit through the iron gates, just after the building, and turn left onto Church Road. then turn left onto Thurcaston Road, pass the play area on the left and continue over the bridge.
[4] Turn left just past the bridge onto the path along the bank of the River Soar and continue through a pleasant park to the first footbridge. Take care of children near the riverbank.
(D) The River Soar is a tributary of the River Trent in the English East Midlands. It rises near Hinckley flowing into the Trent near Ratcliffe-on-Soar in Nottinghamshire. It is believed the name "Leicester" is derived from the words castra (camp) of the Ligore, meaning dwellers on the 'River Legro' (an early name for the River Soar). In the early 10th century it was recorded as Ligeraceaster ("the town of the Ligor people"). The Domesday Book later recorded it as Ledecestre.
Cross the bridge and pass TS Tiger to the left. Turn right onto Ross Walk and continue forward through this busy industrial area, which becomes a residential area with old houses on the left and new developments on the right.
(E) Many of the houses in the streets to the left are late-Victorian being built in the 1890. These would have been homes for the working class who were employed in the hosiery, footwear and related industries. The Vinola knitwear factory (Reliance Works of 1901) still provides employment.
[5] Eventually Ross Walk becomes a pedestrian alleyway. Turn left onto Kensington Street. Continue to the end, cross Belgrave Road and turn right to return to the Centre via the outbound route.