Leicester - Post-industrial poetry in the winter light

I've wanted to go to Leicester for quite a while, so I was really happy to do our next 'Chester' walk there and find out what Leicester is all about.

Leicester was known as Ratae Corieltauvorum in Roman times - the word ratae comes from the Celtic for 'rampart' or 'ringfort' and is quite common in Irish town names containing the affix -rath- The Corieltauvi were a Celtic people who lived in, what is now, the East Midlands of England.  How Ratae Corieltauvoroum became Ledecestre (as Leicester is called in the Domesday Book) is not really known, but the -cester affix is a good indication that there was once a Roman settlement there. 

Lodgings and victuals

As usual, we decided to start our walk 'away' from civilisation, in the middle of the countryside.  We arrived in Leicester quite late on Friday evening and caught a Hackney cab from the station to the Premier Inn Leicester South, which is just outside the suburb of Oadby, where we spent the night.  I've stayed in Premier Inns a few times and, although their accommodation is very basic, I've never had an unpleasant stay and the staff are always really friendly - it's the very definition of cheap and cheerful.  We had a nightcap and breakfast the following morning at a pleasant pub called The Horse and Hounds, where the staff were interested in our planned walk and gave us tips on what to look out for along the way.

Oadby to Newton Harcourt (2 miles)

Norman Church at Great Glen

We noticed a lot of place names ending in -by on this walk, Oadby being the first of them.  As far as I know, the ending -by comes from the Danish word for a settlement or village, so the great number of places ending in -by in Leicestershire, tells us something about the history of Danish settlement in that part of England.  Actually, the Premier Inn is halfway between Oadby and a village called Great Glen, so we started off down the London Road, past the entrance to Leicester Grammar School, in the direction of Great Glen's Norman church.  Apparently, Engelbert Humperdinck lives in the village, but we didn't spot him, as we were walking by!


After the church, we followed a very well-marked public footpath through some fields, across the A6 road (which runs all the way from Luton to Carlisle!) and through some other fields, until we turned left on a bridleway that took us to the village of Newton Harcourt.  We were quite impressed by the good signage by Leicestershire County Council, a stark contrast to neighbouring Northamptonshire and we especially liked the fact that the top of each post was painted yellow, making the markers really easy to see from a distance. 

A very handy yellow signpost - thanks Leicester council!

Negotiating muddy fields

The Bridleway

Newton Harcourt

Newton Harcourt to Kilby (1.6 miles)

Coming out of Newton Harcourt, we crossed the main railway line and also joined the Grand Union canal for a brief spell before taking an inland detour via the village of Kilby.  BAM (Best Aussie Mate) gets terribly excited by canals and was fascinated by the narrow boats, locks and barges that make up the parallel world of Leicester's canal network.  I must admit, the Grand Union canal is quite impressive, consisting of a network of links that stretch all the way from Paddington basin in London, to places like Birmingham and Salford.  Leicester is on a separate 'arm' of the Grand Union canal system and during the walk, more than any other so far, we spent a lot of time on the canal tow paths.

Signposts outside Newton Harcourt

Beautiful winter colours

Just before Turnover Bridge, we left the canal behind for a while and crossed some fields to reach the village of Kilby.  Kilby is an interesting village, made up of one long street, with all the trappings of a former 'coaching stop', it doesn't seem to be quite sure whether it's really part of the urban landscape of Leicester, or whether it wants to return to its rural roots.  Behind the facade of early 20th century townhouses are farmyards, in a weird mixture of town and country.  

Interesting building in Kilby

Kilby Community noticeboard

Kilby to Kilby Bridge (2.3 miles)

We followed the walking paths from Kilby to Foston before turning north again, to walk through fields parallel to the Welford Road, all the way to Kilby Bridge.  Foston surprised me a bit, as it is considered to be a 'lost' village and is deserted.  I'm quite used to the idea of deserted villages in the West of Ireland, where there was massive depopulation, as a result of emigration and the Great Famine, but this was first time I'd heard of England's 'lost villages', many of which were deserted as a result of the Black Death in the 14th century, which killed more than a third of England's population.

BAM making her way to Kilby Bridge

A lonely road to Foston Lodge Farm

The church tower at Foston still stands and made for an eerie sight when glancing backwards, as we negotiated the muddy fields in the direction of Kilby Bridge.  The wide open space of the fields was a welcome getaway from the enclosed feeling of Foston. 

Canal Boats at Kilby Bridge

Kilby Bridge to Leicester (8 miles)

Kilby Bridge seems to be well-known to canal boaters and walkers.  I'm pretty sure that the village pub, The Navigation has been the scene of many a pint celebrating a successful walk or navigation out of Leicester.  For us, it marked the beginning of the eight mile hike to the city.

Facilities for boaters at Kilby Bridge

The path from Kilby Bridge to Leicester is very easy to follow and makes for a pleasant walk, haphazardly touching on bits of suburbia (South Wigston, Glen Parva and Aylestone), but mostly winding through beautiful countryside, seemingly miles away from civilisation.  You can tell that the area was once thriving with industry but, these days, it's easy to get lost in a post-industrial landscape where nature is re-staking its claim and the only interference from modern life is the distant sound of the M1 and the occasional sight of a dog-walker. 

Suburbia along the canal tow path

Tree reflected in the canal waters

If I'd tried to predict what our Leicester walk would be like, I don't think I could have conjured up an appropriate feeling of abandonment or the poetic wintry light that inspired us, as we passed the various locks and bridges along the canal. Nor could I have imagined the beauty of the raging sunset that saw us pass the former elastic factory at St Mary's Mills and the impressive modern structure of Leicester F.C.'s King Power stadium. 

St Mary's Mill, once part of Leicester's hosiery industry

BAM with a view of Leicester city centre in the distance

Leicester F.C.'s King Power stadium

Leicester impressed me!  I was expecting gritty, industrial, impoverished and I'm sure the city contains all of these elements, but I wasn't expecting the redeveloped riverside, the rowing clubs, the vibrant student population and the beautiful historic quarter around Leicester Cathedral.  I'd most definitely like to go back!

Leicester cathedral

The historic heart of Leicester

Access for Wheelchair Users

I'm afraid to say that most of this route would be inaccessible to wheelchair users - apart from the impossible task of negotiating muddy fields, the canal tow path is also inaccessible and very narrow for a wheelchair to pass along.  For wheelchair users, I would recommend starting in Leicester itself and following the cement path along the canal/river, as far as St Mary's Mill (about 2 miles from the centre).  

I sense that there is a lot more to see in Leicester, than we had time for, so I'd imagine that a more comprehensive walk, taking in Frog Island, the ruined Abbey and the National Space Centre, would be extremely satisfying!

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