Leicester
The city of Leicester is to be found in the East Midlands of England, north-east of Coventry and Birmingham and south of Nottingham. One could argue that the success of its football team in winning the Premier League in 2016, helped put it firmly on the world map. In 2016, it was estimated to have a population of 348,300 with a significant number being made up by immigrants from Eastern Europe, Ireland, Asia and Africa.
Leicester appears in the January 2021 Edition of FTHM which you can read at this address:
fromthehorsesmouth.org.uk/fthm-january-2021-edition-73
Leicester boasts the second largest economy in the East Midlands, after Nottingham, and is historically linked to the production of textiles, shoes and clothing. Engineering companies also employ a lot of people in the Leicester area.
If you are one of those people who enjoy a spot of retail therapy, it is the perfect place for you to visit as it has two vibrant shopping centres, namely Highcross Leicester and Haymarket Shopping Centre. It also has many designer and specialist shops in St Martin’s Square and the Leicester Lanes area of the city. Interestingly, it usually has the largest outdoor covered market in Europe.
If you like to put some tasty food in your belly, then why not visit the stretch of Belgrave Road that is famous for its authentic Indian restaurants? This area is known as the Golden Mile and also has many jewellers, sari shops and much more!
Leicester has a plethora of places to see like the Town Hall, Guildhall, Belgrave Hall, the Castle and the Abbey. There are also some good parks such as Abbey Park and Nelson Mandela Park.
If you are partial to a bit of sport, there is a professional football team (Leicester City F.C.) Leicester Tigers (Rugby Union), Leicester County Cricket Club and Leicester Raiders who are the oldest basketball club in England.
Now would be a good time to turn our attention to the history of the city: It is one of the oldest cities in England reaching back at least two millennia. There was definitely an Iron Age settlement met by the Romans when they arrived in the area around AD 47 – it slowly became (around AD 50) the tribal capital of the Corieltauvians and was known as Corieltauvorum. Interestingly, the remains of a Roman cemetery were discovered in the city in 2013.
After the Saxon invasion of Britain, Leicester was occupied and ruled by the kingdom of Mercia, and in the 9th century, it was captured by Danish Vikings. The Danish settlement in Leicester was one of the five Burghs of the Danelaw, and in the early 10th century, it became known as Ligeraceaster. Then in the 11th century, after the Norman conquest, it lost its city status (until 1919) and was recorded in William’s Domesday Book as Ledecestre.
Leicester is also famous as the being the place where King Richard III’s skeleton was discovered under a car park in September 2012. It was then reburied near the high altar in Leicester Cathedral in 2015. Also, it is worth mentioning that Lady Jane Grey was born at Bradgate Park near Leicester around 1536 and went on to claim the English throne for nine days in 1553.
When the industrial era dawned on Leicester, it saw the construction of the Grand Union railway station linking it to St Pancras Station in London. Such developments helped the city and hosiery, textiles, and footwear became important industries in the area. Between 1861 and 1901, the population of Leicester rose from 68,100 to 211,600.
Significantly, the second half of the 19th century saw the creation of the town council, the Royal Infirmary and the Leicester Constabulary, and, in 1919, Leicester was once again recognised as a legal city to acknowledge its great contribution to the war effort.
In the 20th century, Leicester experienced a growth in trade unionism and the Co-operative movement which became an important employer. The Co-op actually provided the Jarrow marchers with a change of boot!
Since the end of the Second World War, many of Leicester’s industries have declined although some of the old jobs have been replaced in the service sector and through retail development. However, the Beaumont Leys Manufacturing Plant still hosts the world’s largest crisp factory.
So, if you think you would like to visit the interesting city of Leicester, you will find it easy to do so as it is well-served by air (East Midlands Airport), road and rail. It has two main bus stations and three permanent Park & Ride sites. What are you waiting for?!
* With a lot of help from Wikipedia
Read more of Dean’s Places here:
fromthehorsesmouth.org.uk/category/deans-places
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