New Walk

New Walk

About

New Walk

New Walk is one of the most picturesque spots in Leicester and has everything from great bars and green spaces to a fantastic concert hall. The highlight is the free Museum half-way up which offers dinosaurs, Egyptians, Romans and some fantastic artworks including a collection of Picasso ceramics.

Established in 1785 and winding uphill for about a kilometre from Welford Place, New Walk is a charming place to discover and enjoy 

New Walk is lined with buildings embracing many architectural styles, fronted by luscious trees and Victoria Park at its top.

It is home to public buildings and open spaces, and of course Leicester's original museum; New Walk Museum & Art Gallery, with a wide range of collections and displays spanning the natural and cultural world.

Through the efforts of the City Council, the public and the continuous dedication of the Friends of New Walk, it remains a jewel in Leicester’s crown. 

The friendsofnewwalk.com website has a detailed history of New Walk, as well as information on how the Friends work to maintain and enhance New Walk.

Visitor Details

Key Information

NEW WALK, Leicester, Leicestershire, LE1 6TE

Opening Times

Season (1 Jan 2024 - 31 Dec 2024)

TripAdvisor

Related

The Guildhall exterior Leicester Guildhall, Leicester City

Leicester CathedralLeicester Cathedral, Leicester City

Dinosaur Exhibition at Leicester MuseumLeicester Museum & Art Gallery, Leicester City

Leicester - the City’s Story, Leicester City

wygstons house upstairsLeicester Old Town Restaurants, Leicester City

hotels in leicester Hotels in Leicester, Leicester City

man laughingLeicester Comedy Festival, Leicester City

art in leicester Art in Leicester, Leicester City

Map & Directions

Facilities

Other

  • Uncover the story - Take a stroll up Leicester’s leafy New Walk today and you’ll be following in some pretty impressive footsteps. You’ll be walking on an ancient road used by Roman soldiers, and enjoying the tree-lined promenade beloved by Leicester’s Georgians and Victorians. Dinosaurs may not have roamed the area, but young naturalist-in-the-making David Attenborough certainly would have as he made his way to the museum here that so inspired him. <hr> This rare preserved Georgian walkway once linked the town with its racecourse – now Victoria Park – and is lined with elegant buildings set behind decorative railings. A Roman Catholic church was one of the first buildings erected and is today known as Holy Cross Priory. A mass similar to that Richard III is thought to have taken on the morning he rode to battle at Bosworth Field is held here daily and open to all. <hr> Welcoming everyone since 1849, New Walk’s centre piece is its free museum, among the first of its kind to open in the country. A young David Attenborough would bring the fossils he had found in the Leicestershire countryside for identification, returning decades later as a world-famous natural historian to open its refurbished dinosaur gallery. <hr> More recently, marble statues and bronze sculptures commemorating the city’s industrial past have sprung up along the walkway, offering a potted history to anyone wandering up this nearly mile-long path. <hr> Reach the top to discover De Montfort Hall, where past performers include Frank Sinatra, The Beatles, David Bowie and The Rolling Stones, and future shows offer everything from comedy and musical theatre to rock and classical concerts. <hr> A cluster of bars, cafés and restaurants at the lower end of New Walk invite visitors to linger in this elegant part of town. If you choose to stay overnight at The Belmont Hotel, you’ll be staying in a building that was once home Ernest Gimson, a founding father of the Arts & Crafts Movement.

Accreditations & Awards

Flower Icon

Related Content

Explore further