Let’s Explore Leicester – Outdoor Edition
Written by Alice Warburton
Lockdown 2.0 is now in full swing. You’ve mastered the art of being indoors: crafts, pamper time, and (every cloud) hours upon hours of Netflix. Now’s the time to venture outside, but where to go? Here’s a quick guide to the best greenery in Leicester, perfect for your daily dose of Boris-permitted exercise.
Victoria Park is your easiest and most obvious choice for a daily walk. Four minutes from Nixon Court, and three from Opal City Accommodation: that means there’s literally no excuse for you not to get out and about! Grab a ball, and come mess around outside with your bubble on one of the many green fields the park has. It boasts a skate park, tennis courts, a football cage, and three playparks, along with access to the University (of course) and Victoria Park Health Centre. It’s a beautiful walk, especially in the autumn air!
If you’re wanting to wander out a bit further, but stay inside the city centre, Abbey Park is the location for you. It’s an hour walk from either City Accommodation, but only a ten minute car drive (both are a good option). Not only is the park gorgeous, but it also has an impressive eighty nine acres, which has historic ruins you will discover as you walk around. Choose from visiting the visitor centre, cafe, bowling green, pets’ corner, a beautiful bandstand, formal gardens, a boating lake, and sensory gardens. (I don’t know about you, but I’m exhausted from reading the list, never mind doing it all!). The gardens were formally opened in 1882 by the Prince and Princess of Wales; when you visit this park, spot the commemorative plaques! In a normal, non-Covid year (oh, how we all wait for that time), Abbey Park is the site of an amazing firework display that draws a huge crowd with a fantastic atmosphere. Although we missed out on the display this year, do not miss out on visiting this beautiful historic site in Leicester.
If you’re lucky enough to own a car, or if you have a bit of money to spend on an Uber (it’s less than £20 to be fair) then I can’t recommend enough a visit to Bradgate Park. This rolling landscape is a whopping eight hundred and fifty acres of beautiful scenery, with amazing wildlife. Better yet, its history is astonishing. We’ve all heard of Lady Jane Grey, who was Queen of England for only seven days, and here you can visit the ruins where she was born in 1537. If this isn’t to your taste, maybe the stunning panoramic views, or historic fossils will be, and more information on these can be found in the visitor centre. Whether you’re looking for a good ramble, or a warm cup of coffee with a side of beautiful views, this is the perfect place to de-stress and walk your worries away.
Alice Warburton is a final year English student from Newcastle. She acts as Chief Editor for Opinion, and also works as a Residential Adviser for city living. You can find her on instagram here: @alicewarburton27
University of Leicester's Student Magazine
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