This inner city walk has a number of busy roads, please take care when crossing these and use pedestrian crossings where possible
Some of the pavements and paths are uneven in places - take care.
[1] Come out of the main entrance at the back of the centre into the car park. Turn left onto Orchardson Avenue and continue to the main road at the end (Dysart Way).
[2] Go left along Dysart Way, crossing Catherine Street and passing the Durham Ox pub. The footpath leaves the road. When you reach Curzon Street and the Curzon Lowe factory go right to stay on Dysart Way. Go on past the filling station and across Freehold Street to Humberstone Road.
[3] Cross right over the first crossing on Dysart Way then left over Humberstone Road and keep on into Nedham Street. Pass under the railway bridges on your way up the hill.
You pass the Charnwood Street Board School of 1877, built to serve all the new housing development of the time.
[4] Bear left at the mini-island by the Masjid Usman onto Hartington Road and continue up the hill.
At the top of the hill on your left is the impressive Wesley Hall of 1903.
[5] At the top of the hill turn right onto Mere Road and, after a few metres, cross over and go right to the gates into Spinney Hill Park.
(A) Spinney Hill Park consists of 34 acres of sloping parkland and has play areas, an adventure playground, a bowls area and a floodlit games area. It was bought by the city corporation in 1885 to provide open space and recreation facilities for the growing working population. The granite water fountain was donated in 1886 by Mr Mather, a local cheese and pork merchant.
Go through the gates and take the wide path to the right and continue through the park to the exit at the other end of the park. This path passes the 1886 water fountain on the left and offers superb views to the east of the city - over the General Hospital and towards Stoughton, Houghton on the Hill in the distance.
[6] At the park gate cross Mere Road and go slightly left to Derwent Street. Go down Derwent Street to its end.
(B) You are now passing through a late-Victorian residential area built for workers in the booming boot and shoe, engineering and hosiery industries. The city's population more than doubled during the latter years of Queen Victoria's reign. Many of the houses have plaques showing the name of that development and the date it was built.
[7] Turn right onto Melbourne Road opposite the Highfields Centre and St Peters Shops. Continue down the hill, crossing six streets.
[8] Just before you reach Matlock Street cross Melbourne Road into Melbourne Street. Continue onto Kent Street passing under the railway bridge to its end at the main Humberstone Road.
[9] Turn right onto Humberstone Road and continue to the traffic lights at the junction with Dysart Way and Nedham Street. Cross Nedham Street at the pedestrian crossing then turn left over Humberstone Road to retrace the route along Dysart Way back to the centre