Leicester Travel Guide

Introduction

Leicester is a city in the East Midlands region of England. It is the capital of the traditional county of Leicestershire, with a population of some 330,000 in the city area and nearly 500,000 in the wider metropolitan area.

What is now known as Leicester began life as a settlement of the Iron Age Corieltauvi tribe. When the Romans conquered England the settlement became an important staging post on the Fosse Way, the road running from Isca (modern Exeter) and Lindum (modern Lincoln) and was known as Ratae Corieltauvorum (the town of the Corieltauvi). The Roman town still lies underneath the modern city centre. As well as thousands of Roman artefacts, several mosaics and beautiful wall-paintings have been discovered during excavations, an indicator of the wealth of at least some of Ratae's Roman citizens. The forum lies undernath the Holiday Inn hotel and the remains of the town's baths can be seen next to St Nicholas' Church, including the highest portion of Roman wall still standing in the UK.

Ledescestre was named as a city in the Norman Domesday Book (1068) but soon lost that status, only regaining it in 1919.

In 1485, the body of King Richard lll was brought to Leicester after he was killed at the Battle of Bosworth. He was buried in Greyfriars Priory but the gravesite was lost over the centuries. It was not until 2012 that his bones were discovered (confirmed as his by DNA analysis) during an excavation of the Greyfriars site.

The Grand Union Canal was constructed in the 1790s, linking Leicester to Birmingham, and the railway first arrived in the city in 1832. Industrialisation brought large textile mills, a huge boot & shoe industry, textile industries such as stocking- and sock-making, engineering factories and steelworks.

Modern Leicester is perhaps the most multi-cultural and multi-ethnic city in England, with a large Asian community as well as numerous other comunities of differing ethic origins. This cultural mix is reflected in the vibrancy of the city centre and its events, the wide variety of foods on sale in the thriving outdoor market and the multitude of truly excellent ethnic restaurants.

Neighbourhoods

Sights and Activities

• King Richard III Visitor Centre: Dynasty, Death and Discovery, 4A St. Martins, LE1 5DB, ☎ 0300 300 0900 https://kriii.com/ Life and times of King Richard III; events surrounding the battle in 1485, when he was killed; the discovery in 2012 of his remains; the archaeology, identification, DNA and other tests in confirming the identity of the remains. The museum includes the original burial site, within the site of Greyfriars Priory, viewed through a glass floor.
• Leicester Cathedral, Peacock Lane, LE1 5PZ, ☎ +44 116 261-5200. The medieval church of St Martin, substantially rebuilt in the 1860s and designated a cathedral in 1927. Since March 2015 the remains of King Richard III have been buried there under a specially-created tombstone. Additional displays include the ceremonial pall which covered the coffin during the reburial period. https://leicestercathedral.org/
• Leicester Guildhall, Guildhall Lane, LE1 5FQ, ☎ +44 116 253-2569. https://www.visitleicester.info/see-and-do/the-guildhall-p692741 Standing next to Leicester Cathedral, this is one of the best-preserved timber-framed halls in the country, dating back to the 14th century.
• New Walk Museum & Art Gallery, New Walk. Ancient Egypt, dinosaurs, fossils, Victorian artwork, Picasso ceramics and much more. Open every day from 11am. Free entry.
• Newarke Houses Museum 20, Newarke Street. Housed in two historic buildings, the museum tells the story of social Leicester. Includes the museum of the Royal Leicestershire Regiment and information about Daniel Lambert.
• St Nicholas Church - The oldest (over 1,200 years) place of Christian worship in Leicester. Open to visitors every Saturday, 2:00pm - 4:00pm, as well as for worship.
• St. Mary de Castro Church - One of the oldest buildings in Leicester, dating from the early 12th century. The name means "St Mary of the Castle". It stands in the grounds of what was once Leicester Castle, for which it was once the chapel. Open: Monday to Friday 12:00pm - 2:00pm; Saturday 2:00pm - 4:00pm.
• The National Space Centre, Exploration Dr, LE4 5NS (2 kilometres north of the city centre.), ☎ +44 845 605 2001 A popular tourist attraction with visitors from all over the world. It is the nation's only Space Centre. https://spacecentre.co.uk/
• Abbey Pumping Station Corporation Road. http://www.abbeypumpingstation.org/ Leicester's museum of Science and Technology. Adjacent to the National Space Centre.
• The National Gas Museum, 195 Aylestone Rd, LE2 7QJ, ☎ +44 116 250 3190 http://www.nationalgasmuseum.org.uk/

Events and Festivals

Regular events include:

Leicester Comedy Festival in February. One of the best comedy festivals in the country, with hundreds of shows in tens of venues across the city.
The Riverside Festival in June. Fun fair, family activities, beer tent, street market and street food stalls, live music, arts & crafts and much more.
Caribbean Carnival in August. Parades, live music, street market & food, parties and after-parties.
Belgrave Mela in August. Music, street performance, dance, food, arts and Indian culture.
Divali in November. Huge celebrations across the city, with fireworks, city illuminations, street food, live music and more.

Weather

Leicester experiences a maritime climate with mild to warm summers and cool winters, rain spread throughout the year, and low sunshine levels.

Getting There

By Plane

East Midlands Airport (EMA) is the main gateway, located about 20 miles from Leicester.

To/from the airport
The airport has excellent connections to the motorway network via the M1 and M42. The closest railway station is East Midlands Parkway, 6 kilometres away. If you book a taxi in advance you can have a reduced price getting to the railway station, as buses don't go here anymore. Skylink branded bus services operate to and from Leicester, Nottingham, Derby, Loughborough and Coalville.

By Train

Leicester is on the main London to Leeds rail route from London St Pancras station. There are up to four trains to and from the capital every hour. The journey takes up to 1:30h on the slower trains. Tickets bought in advance are usually significantly cheaper.

Often cheaper, but longer time-wise, you can travel from London via Nuneaton, Warwickshire. In Nuneaton, change to the Stagecoach bus 148 or Arriva bus 158 both going directly to Leicester (very limited service in the evening and at the weekends). Nuneaton bus station is 5 minutes 'walk from the railway station and buses to Leicester depart from stand C.

Leicester also offers direct rail access to Stansted Airport, East Midlands Airport, Luton Airport, Sheffield, Nottingham, Derby, Peterborough, Cambridge and Birmingham.

Cross country services (Cambridge, Stansted, Nuneaton, Coventry and Birmingham) are operated by Cross Country Trains.

Suburban services to Sileby, Barrow-on-Soar, and Lougborough are operated by East Midlands Trains and those towards Wigston and Narborough -by Cross Country Trains.

Leicester station is ten minute walk from the clock tower in the centre of the city. St Margaret's bus and coach station is 15 minutes' walk from the railway station and five minutes' walk from the clock tower.

By Car

Leicester is adjacent to the M1 and M69 motorways, allowing speedy road access south to London and north to many other major English cities.
The M69 motorway provides good access from the south of the city at M1 junction 21 towards Birmingham, Coventry, Nuneaton and Hinckley.

By Bus

National Express coaches arrive at St Margaret's bus station, a short walk to the city centre. There are regular services to and from London, Birmingham and Nottingham where connections are available to most of the UK. Eurolines services to continental Europe.
Megabus also connects Leicester with London and, from there, to other British cities, as well as Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam.

Getting Around

By Car

There is a Park & Ride service that runs Monday-Saturday from Meynells Gorse at Braunstone crossroads, just off the A47 to the west of the city centre . This service is well-signposted on the A47 and the M1 (leave at junction 21A). Buses serve the city centre with a reliable, regular service from a large car park. Other park & ride services run from Enderby to the South of the city and Birstall to the North. Parking is free but a bus fare must be paid. Park and ride buses can be used by pedestrans as well as those arriving by car.

By Public Transport

The city has an extensive local bus network. Services are operated mainly by First Leicester and Arriva. First Leicester services cover the more local (city) destinations, those operated by Arriva can also be useful for reaching areas just outside Leicester, as well as city destinations. First Services leave from a variety of points in the city centre; most Arriva services depart from St Margaret's Bus Station.

By Foot

All city centre locations are within walking distance.

By Bike

Cycling in and around Leicester is generally pleasant with there being a good road network and generally well-mannered car and bus drivers. Previous city council policies led to the development of well signposted, well designed cycle-tracks: some of these are now in need of repair and upkeep, but the network remains. Sustrans Route 6 bisects the city North/South, with Route 63 going north-west toward Charnwood Forest.
The city centre Bike Park provides a handy place to park your bike with complete security during the week, daytime. The Bike Park is situated in one corner of the Town Hall (in Town Hall Square) right in the city centre. The friendly staff can help with repairs and local knowledge. There are changing facilities here if you require them.

Eat

Leicester is a fantastic place for Indian food. Leicester's large Gujarati community - centred in the Belgrave area - has led to the opening of many excellent Indian vegetarian restaurants in that part of the city.

The choice of fine dining restaurants in Leicester is limited but there is a wide variety of other eating places offering a range of international cuisines including Indian, Italian, Turkish, Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean as well as national chains and fast food.

Drink

With two universities, Leicester boasts a good number of bars, pubs, and clubs offering a wide variety of alcoholic drinking experiences, from traditional pubs to champagne and vodka bars.

Leicester also has a small number of bars and a nightclub catering for the lesbian/gay communities.

For those that prefer their drink without alcohol there are also many coffee shops and cafes in the city centre though these generally only open during shopping hours.

Sleep

There is no shortage of overnight accommodation in Leicester at almost all budget ranges: the tourist information people can help.

Work

Learn

Keep Connected

Phone

See also: International Telephone Calls

The country calling code to the United Kingdom is: 44. To make an international call from the United Kingdom, the code is: 00

In case of emergency, call 999 or 112 from any phone. Calls are free and will be answered by an emergency services operator who will ask you for your location, and the service(s) you need (police, fire, ambulance, coastguard or mountain rescue). You can call this number from any mobile phone even if you do not have roaming.

There are now few payphones in the UK.

Post

The Royal Mail provides postal services in the United Kingdom. The Royal Mail's store fronts are called Post Office and offer services ranging from sending letters and packages to foreign currency exchange. Use the branch locator to find the nearest Post Office branch. There will be at least one post office in any town/city and there are quite often post offices in larger villages. It's common for a post office to be incorporated into a grocery store, where there will be a small counter located at the back of the store for dealing with post related matters. All post offices are marked with signs that say 'post office' in red lettering. Post boxes can be found at any post office and standalone large red post boxes on the streets or red boxes in the sides of public buildings.

External Links