On first impression, Leicester is a resolutely modern thriving city and
the county town, with two universities. The city has good shopping
facilities with pedestrian friendly shopping streets and the Shires
Shopping Centre. There are traces of its medieval and Roman past. The
Romans, choosing this site in the middle of the territory of the
rebellious Coritani, developed Leicester's precursor, Ratae
Coritanorum, as a fortified town on the Fosse Way, the military road
running from Lincoln to Cirencester.
Places of interest:
There is a large Indian population with a good Hindu temple. For sport,
there is a racecourse, and successful Rugby, Football and Cricket
teams. Outside the city, there are wild moor land and woods at
Bradgate, and at Swithland there is a reservoir and golf course.
Jewry Wall museum records the city's past on the site of Roman
baths, and has mosaic pavements. In the Roman times the settlement at
Leicester was the capital of Coritani. It also charts Leicester's
history from prehistoric to medieval times. The most interesting
artefacts are Roman, a hotchpotch of archaeological finds from Fosse
Way milestones to two splendid mosaics.
Jain Centre is based in a totally revamped old Congregational
chapel. The rites and beliefs of the Jains, a long-established Indian
religious sect, focus on an extreme reverence for all living things.
The temple, the only one of its kind in Western Europe, has a
splendidly garish white marble facade, and visitors may enter the lobby
or even view the interior by prior appointment.
Newarke Houses Museum, located in the 1511 Chantry House, two
adjoining Jacobean houses, makes a pleasant setting for an exploration
of the town's social history.
St Martins Cathedral is built on a Saxon site, and former Roman
temple. By the 8th century Leicester had a bishop, though the bishopric
lapsed in 874 A.D. and was not re-instated until 1926 which is when the
14th century St. Martin’s Church became a cathedral.
Leicestershire Museum & Art Gallery, located on the New Walk,
has a 'Discovery' room for children, an art collection and ever
changing exhibitions. It is easily the best of the city's museums.
Things to do:
Leicester's Hindu population put on a massive and internationally
famous Diwali, Festival of Light, in October or November, while the
city's sizeable Afro-Caribbean community celebrates its culture in a
whirl of colour and music on the first weekend in August.
Bradgate Park is where you can find the picturesque ruins of
Bradgate House, birthplace of Lady Jane Grey, who was Queen of England
in 1554 for just nine days.
Charnwood Forest has a wealth of country parks providing wonderful
walks and views. Other beauty spots include the rocky summit of Beacon
Hill and the long ridge occupied by the Outwoods. Billa Barra and Altar
Stones are unusual hills on the west side of Charnwood, whilst
Broombriggs Farm, Windmill Hill and Groby Pool add to the variety.
Rutland Water is a reservoir in the east of the county. When it was
constructed, various areas were set aside to cater for different types
of leisure pursuits. At the eastern end, sailing and sail boarding are
popular, while in the central section trout fishing takes place, both
from boats and from the shore. The western part of the reservoir is a
nature reserve, but throughout the year large numbers of water birds
can be seen in all sections of the reservoir.
Abbey Park is Leicester’s premier park and lies approximately one
mile north of the City centre. The River Soar divides this beautiful
park into two distinct areas: to the east of the river lies the highly
decorative Victorian part of the park with its evergreen shrubberies,
trees, lakes and formal flower displays. To the west lies the
fascinating Abbey Grounds where the remains of the twelfth century
Leicester Abbey and the ruins of Cavendish House, a seventeenth century
mansion are located.
Foxton Locks comprises ten canal locks consisting of two
"staircases" of five locks and is located on the Leicester line of the
Grand Union Canal. Staircase locks are used where a canal needs to
climb a steep hill, and consist of groups of locks which open directly
into each other. Foxton Locks are the largest flight of staircase locks
on the English canal system. The locks are a popular tourist attraction
and the county council has created a country park at the top.
Food & Drink:
People come from miles around to eat in Leicester’s Indian restaurants.
Bobby's is one of the most famous restaurants in the city. It is
run by Gujaratis, and this moderately priced place is strictly
vegetarian and uses no garlic or onions; if you're here on a weekend,
try their delicious house speciality, undhyu, or the multi-flavoured
Bobby's Special Chaat.
Thali specialises in set meals, where several different dishes,
breads and pickles are served together on large steel plates.
Stones Restaurant is where you will get served a tasteful selection
of fine wines and great European cuisine, including excellent tapas, in
a trendy environment with candlelit tables. A place for those "smart
casual" occasions.
Rosie O’Brien’s is a really fun pub in the centre of Leicester.
They have plenty of entertainment and good food and drink those appeals
to all ages from 19 to 70 years old. With a lively trouble free
atmosphere anyone who comes here will be in for a great time
The Counting House is located in what used to be the old cattle
market, 150 years ago; you can come along to enjoy a good drink in a
lively atmosphere. Good pub food is available from their own menu which
includes homemade favourites. Why not join us for Sunday lunch when we
offer a choice of two roasts.
The Bakers Arms in Blaby is one of those pubs you don’t often see
nowadays, with low-beamed ceilings and cosy nooks and crannies; it
oozes atmosphere and days of long gone service and civility.
Leicester Hotels & Accommodation:
The hotels and accommodation in the city of Leicester are geared for
the business traveller, with most of the large chain hotels having
outlets there. For the traveller seeking smaller hotels or guest
houses, these can be found in the outlying villages on the edge of the
Charnwood Forest or in the towns of Loughborough, and Market
Harborough. All Ideal bases for seeing Leicester and Leicestershire
Entertainment
The performing arts come up trumps in Leicester at the excellent
Phoenix Arts Centre, Newarke Street, features a first-rate mix of
comedy, music, theatre and dance, whilst doubling up as an independent
cinema. It began life as a temporary venue whilst the Leicester
Haymarket theatre was being built. With strong links with De Montfort
University, the Centre is now a major venue for the performing arts,
providing a contemporary programme that is different from, but
associated with, the Haymarket.
De Montfort Hall is the city's main concert hall and is on
Granville Road - adjoining Victoria Park at the end of New Walk. Here
you can see a programme range from jazz, ballet, comedy and opera to
world and roots music, West End musicals and our superb classical
programme featuring the Philharmonia Orchestra.
The Haymarket Theatre has main and studio theatres, and hosts
In-house productions, visiting companies, education outreach, foyer
exhibitions, singles nights and theatre clubs.
Leicester is a multi-cultural, modern city located on the edge of
Charnwood Forest. It offers the visitor plenty of scope in deciding on
how to spend a short break there. Easily accessible by road and rail it
is the ideal place for a short stop over whilst travelling around, or
as a destination for those wanting to experience a culturally diverse
region of England from a single base.
<b>Biography</b><br>
Name: Maria Williams<br>
Website: <a href="http://www.sleepuk.com">http://www.sleepuk.com</a><br>
Biography: Maria writes for <a href="http://www.sleepuk.com">Sleep UK</a>
providers of <a href="http://www.sleepuk.com">discounted uk hotels</a>
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