[1] Facing the statue of Cardinal Wolsey turn left into the Lavender Maze to enjoy the lovely fragrance. Return to the statue and walk straight ahead over the big bridge across the River Soar. Then take the path in front through the trees signposted for the 'Boating Lake' (There may be cyclists, and take care near the water).
(A) Notice the statue of Cardinal Wolsey in front of the cafe. He was for may years the most powerful minister of King Henry VIII - the most powerful man in the country after the king. He was Archbishop of York. He stopped at Leicester Abbey on his way from York to London a long journey in those days, and died here. He is buried somewhere near where we are walking today. The statue does not do him justice; in later life he was a corpulent man, but appears in contemporary paintings to be rather better looking than the (much later) statue.
(B) Leicester's river is the River Soar, one of the more important rivers of England. It has been made navigable from where it joins the River Trent at Trent Lock near Nottingham, right through Leicester to join the main line of the Grand Union Canal at Norton Junction in Northamptonshire. It is not navigable just here - see the weir! - because the canal follows a more direct route, a 'cut', just outside the park.
[2] At the path 't' junction turn right and then almost immediately turn left, signposted 'Toilets', continue past the toilets on the left and continue up the gentle slope towards the Education Centre
[3] Just before the Education Centre turn left through the gate into the Friendship Garden. Cross over the two small bridges to the Pagoda at the other side of the Garden (Take care on these bridges as they may be slippery in wet conditions - use other paths skirting the Garden)
(C) The Friendship Garden is laid out in oriental style, with bridges modelled on the Chinese 'willow pattern'.
[4] Pass through the gate and walk to the left for a few metres to view (D) the boating lake; there are fountains and, er, boats! Return to the gate and continue along the red railed path. At the end of this path turn left and continue ahead for a short distance..
[5] At the junction with the main path turn right. and keep bearing right around it Note the colourful ornamental gardens on the right and the miniature railway on the left..
(E) You will see the miniature railway on your left. This is small but big enough to sit on. Members of a Leicester Modelling Society maintain the railway and sometimes give rides. None of that today - we are walking!
[6] Just before the end of the miniature railway turn left onto the narrower path leading towards the railway and follow it round
[7] At the main path, just before reaching the river, turn left. and exit the park through the gate Turn sharp right, then follow the path round for a short distance. Cross the concrete footbridge signposted for 'Abbey Park'
[8] Turn right and enter Abbey Park through the archway. Continue forward with the river on the right and the childrens playground on the left. (This is a cycle route, look out for fast-moving bicycles) Continue ahead and take the riverside path between the cafe and the bridge. The original defensive wall of the Abbey is then on your left and the river on your right.
[9] At the end of the wall keep left, go clockwise round the little loop, and retrace your steps to in front of the Pavilion Cafe.
[10] Turn sharp right just before the cafe to pass through the brick archway. (Mind your head due to restricted height of the archway). Almost immediately turn left to enter the garden and walk in a clockwise direction around the outside of the garden and return to the brick archway.
.A pleasant ornamental garden (featuring different varieties of fruits and vegetables) of a more European style than the Friendship Garden.
[11] Turn sharp left and go along the inside of the Abbey defensive wall with the Abbey ruins on the left
Notice the small tower and arrow slits in the wall to make it easier to defend in case of attack.
(F) You can now see the shape of the Abbey buildings. These low walls are not the original walls of the Abbey but were built in the twentieth century to show where the walls of the building would have been. There are some information boards.
[12] At the top of the park take the first path on the left and walk towards the trees
[13] At the path 't' junction turn right to the car park (beware of moving cars), bear left and then turn left to pass through the Gateway. Then almost immediately turn left towards the ruins with the ruins of Abbey Church straight in front..
(G) Leicester Abbey was wound up in the time of Henry VIII - 'the dissolution of the monasteries' . The buildings were demolished or fell into ruin. Cavendish House was built later, no doubt re-using stone from the Abbey buildings.
(H) This was the grand gateway of Cavendish House.
[14] Take the path in front to walk the length of the ruins of the Abbey church, then at the end retrace your steps to the start of the church
You can see that this was a huge building. It would have been as tall as a cathedral as well as covering this massive area.
[15] Turn left and then first right to join the path around the oval to return to the Pavilion Cafe
(I) The oval is a cricket pitch. (If there is a cricket match under way watch for the hard and fast-moving ball.)