| truth Leicester is neither quaint, nor full of historic | | | | This is Leicester’s oldest established museum |
| places to visit. However, the few truly ancient or | | | | and houses scientific and artistic collections. Current |
| historic buildings it has are shown off well and the | | | | exhibitions include; Wild Space — looking at the |
| city is quite rightly proud of them. Here are a few of | | | | biodiversity of the planet, Mighty Dinosaurs, |
| the sites worth seeing in Leicester. | | | | Leicestershire’s rocks, Ancient Egyptians, and |
| The undoubted oldest structure in Leicester is the | | | | of course, art galleries. The art galleries contain varied |
| Jewry Wall. This is a section of ancient wall about 5m | | | | collections on themes such as; Our World through |
| high and 23m long alongside Talbot Lane in the city | | | | Art, Expressionism, The Captured Image, World art |
| centre. Originally known as Hadrian’s bath | | | | and Gallery Nine, which is devoted to the artistic |
| House, it is part of what was the Roman baths, built | | | | expression of the multi-ethnic nature of the city. |
| there sometime around 130 AD. Unfortunately, unlike | | | | Leicester is the home of the National Space Centre, |
| other Roman bath houses, due to an engineering | | | | which is off Corporation Road to the North of the |
| error the aqueduct that was supposed to feed | | | | city. If travelling to it by car, the road signage can be |
| water into the baths was mis-aligned, resulting in the | | | | confusing. However, when near, you can’t |
| Roman bathers having to use a cistern to fill the | | | | miss its distinctive shape. Unfortunately, you |
| baths by hand. A shocking state of affairs in those | | | | won’t be able to see any rockets taking off |
| days! There is of course a Jewry Wall Museum, which | | | | from here as the National Space Centre is a museum |
| also houses Roman artefacts, including Roman | | | | concerned with space exploration. The centre has a |
| milestones from nearby Fosse Way and mosaic | | | | constantly changing series of events and activities. |
| floor-tiles. | | | | However, it also houses permanent exhibitions such |
| Enclosed in the same grounds as St Martin’s, | | | | as space rockets, space capsules, satellites, orbiting |
| Leicester Cathedral, and in-between Guildhall Lane and | | | | the earth and exploring the universe. There is an |
| Peacock Lane, is the Guildhall. This half-timbered | | | | emphasis on the National Space Centre being an |
| building was originally built in the late fourteenth | | | | interactive museum, so there’s plenty to get |
| century and has, through the ages, been the Town | | | | involved in rather than being a passive viewer. After |
| Hall, a prison and a police station. Now open to the | | | | standing by the huge booster rockets that are on |
| public, the warped beams and rickety floor in the | | | | display, you can go to The Space Theatre, which |
| Great Hall immediately demonstrate that you are in a | | | | takes you on a journey through the galaxy. The |
| truly ancient building. In 1642 part of it was occupied | | | | National Space Centre excels as an educational |
| by the town’s library, making it the third | | | | museum and supports a variety of educational |
| oldest public library in the country. For the more | | | | activities. |
| ghoulish visitors, it is reputed to be the most haunted | | | | Nearby to Leicester city is Market Bosworth, not |
| building in Leicester. You can see the old prison cells | | | | necessarily in itself worth a visit although it is a |
| and the conditions endured by their captives and if | | | | pleasant village to see. The special thing about it is |
| you wish, you can see the gibbet from which the | | | | that nearby, to the south at Sutton Cheny, is the |
| bodies of the hanged were put on public display up | | | | historic Bosworth Field, site of the famous defeat of |
| until 1840. Whilst in this area you can also visit the | | | | Richard III by Henry Tudor. Here there is a |
| cathedral. However, apart from the finely carved | | | | visitor’s centre to provide all the background |
| medieval wooden entrance porch, there is little | | | | information you might need before you proceed on a |
| evidence of the original eleventh century building. | | | | tour of the battlefield itself. There is an annual |
| Refurbished in 2006 and early 2007 Newarke House | | | | re-enactment of the last battle in the War of the |
| Museum is housed in two sixteenth century buildings, | | | | Roses’ on the week-end nearest to August |
| Wygston’s Chantry House and Skeffington | | | | 22nd, to commemorate the actual battle of 1485. NB. |
| House, at the bottom of the Castle Gardens. Its main | | | | Archaeologists are currently re-assessing whether this |
| theme is the daily life of Everyman in 20th | | | | was the actual site of the battle or not. If you visit it |
| Century Leicester’, with galleries dedicated to | | | | you may wonder how well the site matches the |
| displays on the story of immigration into Leicester, | | | | contemporary descriptions of it. |
| the Teddy Boy era and a recreation of shopping in | | | | You might also consider visiting Belvoir Castle. Historic |
| the 1940s. The museum also houses the history of | | | | home of the Duke & Duchess of Rutland, it |
| the Royal Leicestershire regiment. | | | | commands a beautiful view (belvoir) across the Vale |
| Another newly refurbished museum in Leicester is | | | | of Belvoir. Dating back to Norman times it was |
| the New Walk Museum off Princess Road West, as | | | | almost completely destroyed during the Wars of |
| you head out of the city centre to the South West. | | | | the Roses’. |