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Leicester Travel Guide: 59 reviews and 120 photos
Known as 'the forgotten city' even in the UK, Leicester is a vibrant, multi-cultural place. It's excellent for shopping (all the main stores plus lots of little independent shops) and has a very good market (vegetable stall run by Gary Lineker's parents). They even managed to keep most of the original frontage when they built the huge 'Shires' shopping centre in the middle of the city.
Additionally, Leicester's large Asian population has produced the 'Golden Mile' on Belgrave Road, where you can buy everything from gold jewellery to sarees and spices. The restaurants there are excellent!
Leicester also has the only Jain temple in the UK, a beautiful place which can be visited in the afternoons (by appointment only) and several gurdwaras and mosques which welcome visitors.
Leicester (known then as Ratae) was an important Roman town. The Roman baths can still be seen in the grounds of the Jewry Wall museum. The 'Jewry Wall' itself is the tallest original Roman structure still standing in England. The museum (check opening times locally) contains many Roman and prehistoric artefacts
found in the city and county, including fine mosaics and wall paintings.
Leicester also has a Medieval guildhall to visit, Medieval abbey ruins in Abbey Park and Norman remains in Castle Park. Nearby is Bradgate House, where Lady Jane Grey (Queen for only 9 days) lived, its ruins set in acres of beautiful parkland. The park is very popular with local people at weekends, as it is free (apart from parking) and often feels as if you are in wild country. Lots of deer and some of the oldest exposed rocks in the UK.
Leicestershire is a largely rural county, with many little villages and interesting historical sites. The east is more hilly, and more pastoral as you travel towards England's smallest county (Rutland). The west of the county was once an important area for manufacturing boots, shoes, hosiery and clothing in general but many of the small local factories have closed since the 1980's.
Many people do not realise that the Battle of Bosworth took place in Leicestershire A major turning point in British history, this is the battle during which Richard lll was killed and Henry Tudor (father of Henry Vlll) took the throne. The battlefield and visitor centre lie near the pretty, typically English market town of Market Bosworth. Both are worth visiting ...... see my Battle of Bosworth travelogue for more details on the battlefield.
- Pros:Vibrant multi-cultural city, with good shopping!
- Cons:Can get very crowded on Saturday afternoons.
- In a nutshell:The 'forgotten city'
Reviews (6)
Leicester Cathedral
Things to Do
(4)
It's taken me ages to get round to going inside but I was pleasantly surprised by this small cathedral (it was only... more travel advice
Buses
Transportation
(2)
You probably will not need to use the buses if you stay in central Leicester. It is not a huge city and exploring the... more travel advice
East Midlands Airport
Transportation
(2)
East Midlands Airport (East Mids for short) is the nearest international airport to Leicester. There is a direct airport... more travel advice
St Mary de Castro
Things to Do
(4)
The ancient church of St. Mary de Castro is sited within what once was the bailey of Leicester castle. It is a... more travel advice
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Leicester Travel Guide
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Comments (12)
Hi J, I seem to remember that you posted about the search for Richard III's body in Leicester a while back. Can't find it so came looking here & read a bit about him on Cathedral review. Last night CBC showed the BBC documentary "King in the Car Park" - excellent and moving. I watched attentively hoping to catch a glimpse of you among people at press conferences, or just walking by Greyfriars. One gal did look like you... :) Amazing how they hit the right spot at the very beginning of the dig. In fact, the whole story is fantastic, I was happy for him, his surviving Plantagenêt nephew, and Philippa of the Richard III Society -- almost cried. :)
Agree...far, far too much 'keeping things light' (i.e. dumbing down) on the BBC nowadays. Many, many of us feel like that. I very rarely watch TV any more for exactly that reason. Fingers crossed I'll be able to go to the re-interment though (2014, I think): maybe the blogger Pass will come in handy! :-)
oh....my! What a moment that will be! Tks for mentioning it, I think I'll ask for the Blogger Pass myself! (Now signing off, don't wish to monopolise your time.)
Now I know a little bit more about your home town.
Good marketing for your home town!
I read something about Leicester recently, but I seem to have *forgotten* what it was. Typical, I suppose.
J, I just listened to a podcast from British History Magazine. They highlighted many new and interesting discoveries at Bosworth. Randy
J, Did you start early today in an empty school? PJ
Looks like your typical adorable English town:) Very nice
the LCC website is chock full of info!(altho' for some reason I was unable to find train/rail info there)
It has been a long time since I do not visit Leicester (I think 4 years and a half now snif snif, my ex-home). I agree with the forgotten city :-)
Makes me want to re-read Tess of the D'Ubervilles it does