Great Central Railway around the Abbey Lane Area, Leicester


	This section covers the line where it runs parallel to Abbey Lane, from Beaumont Leys Lane southwards to the North Viaduct. The northern part runs through housing estates, whereas the southern part is encroached upon by various industrial units. Click here for a street map of this area from multimap Notes on using the multimaps: The map linked to is a large scale street map which unfortunately does not show the route of the disused railway. However, to see an aerial photograph of the area covered by the map click on the “Aerial” tab at the top left of the map. When finished with multimap click on “Back” till you return here.

	The truncated abutments are all that remain of the brick bridge over Beaumont Leys Lane, here looking south east towards Abbey Lane. The rocket tower of the National Space Centre is poking above the roofs in the centre of the photograph.


	Less than half a mile south of Beaumont Leys Lane you reach the first structure built across the track bed. This is an industrial unit on Menzies Road, looking northwards. The track bed is under the right side of the building, parallel to the left of the hedge. Abbey Lane Sidings and coal depot were to the right of the photographer on the east of the line.


	This is about 20 yards south of the previous photograph, looking south, with the remains of a car in the foreground, where Abbey Lane Sidings and Coal yard was. The main track bed went through the right side of this industrial unit and crossed Blackbird Road, which is immediately behind.


	Remains of the northern brick abutment which supported the steel bridge across Blackbird Road. Viewed from the junction with Parker Drive, looking northwards at the other side of the factory shown in the above photograph.


	The view across Blackbird road, looking south, taken from alongside the bridge abutment in the photograph above. The embankment carrying the track headed across the lawn at the back of the flats, and probably went through the left hand corner of the nearer block.


	About a hundred yards south of Blackbird Road the GCR crossed Devonshire Road on a brick bridge. Looking northwards you can see the remains of the embankment, but all traces of the bridge have gone.


	Having crossed Devonshire Road and turned round to look south, you can see that even the embankment has been removed.Though ironically this has had to be replaced by stacked stone and a fence to shield the houses on the right from the new industrial units and stores built on the track bed.


	The other side of the factory unit pictured above across the track bed, again showing the stacked stone wall and the fence to shield the houses. There is a second factory unit immediately to the left.


	© 2001-2008. Text and photographs copyright Nigel Tout