Abbot Penny'S Wall

This is a monastic boundary wall, now serving as a park wall and gates. Sections of the wall date to circa 1500, with substantial additions and alterations in the 19th century and 1931. The wall is constructed from red and blue brick, Charnwood granite, and stone rubble.

Beginning from the southeast corner, there is a 60-metre section of mid-19th century brickwork, followed by a 45-metre section of repaired brickwork dating to circa 1500. At the southwest corner is a chamfered section featuring partial quoins and an ashlar niche with an ornate canopy. The 385-metre west wall, also dating to circa 1500, incorporates patterned diaper work using blue brick and has a blue brick coping. Approximately 25 metres north of this section are a pair of square gate piers, constructed circa 1980. A further gateway was built circa 1931, incorporating a pair of square piers, short curved iron railings, and a pair of square gate piers with iron gates and extending for 100 metres. Seventy-five metres further north, an original four-centred archway has been blocked.

185 metres north, the wall transitions to Charnwood granite rubble with rounded coping, which is slightly higher and largely of medieval origin. A 20th-century gateway is situated 220 metres north, followed by another gateway circa 1931, featuring round outer piers, iron railings, and octagonal ashlar gate piers with iron gates, 20 metres further north. Seventy-five metres north, the wall curves onto Abbey Park Road and extends 125 metres east to the main gateway. This entrance features octagonal turrets with ashlar battlements, four-centred arches, a central larger four-centred arch surmounted by a coat-of-arms and a coped gable, all with iron gates.

From there, the wall continues 125 metres east to a chamfered turret, before stretching a further 90 metres to a rounded corner turret. A fragmentary section of wall continues south along the River Soar for 323 metres, exhibiting medieval windows and a restored turret with machicolations. Another turret with medieval openings is located at the southeast corner. The wall then extends west for 57 metres with a central opening, with a small section turning north for 9 metres.

In a separate section, a circa 1500 stone rubble wall runs along Abbey Lane. This portion was heightened in the 17th or 18th century using red brick, with a ramp coping of engineering bricks above.