New Walk stretches for over a thousand yards following the line of the Via Devana, a roman road that once led to Colchester. It was first laid out as a pedestrian way by Leicester Corporation in 1785, when it was known as Queens Walk. It originally provided a walkway from the City, at Welford Place, to the former racecourse, now known as Victoria Park.
There is a progression in age and style of buildings from the post-Classical style of the early 19th century in lower New Walk to the post-1880's Domestic Revival houses of Upper New Walk. The Georgian walkway is lined with mature trees and passes through The Oval, De Montfort Square and Museum Square, this delightful environment having long attracted members of the medical, legal and education professions. New Walk was designated a Conservation Area in 1969 in order to preserve the unique architectural and historic importance of this area.
