The County of Leicestershire was in the news in 2012 after the remains of the King Richard III was discovered.
The notorious ruler of the 15th century was laid to rest in a grave that was not marked after his death in the Battle of Bosworth Field in 1485. If you’re a historian, there are plenty of locations to fill your Richard interest in Leicester starting from the spot where he was killed, and his last resting spot within Leicester Cathedral.
However, there’s more to it than that: Leicester has superb museums and the surrounding countryside is decorated with elegant homes and charming little villages that have built-in cottages.
There are many vibrant universities like Loughborough or visit one of the numerous food festivals in Melton Mowbray, home of Stilton cheese and pork pie.
Let’s take a look at the best places to go within Leicestershire:
1. Leicester
After his remains were discovered under the car park in 2012, Richard III has become the focus of interest in Leicester.
There’s a new visitor centre in the city detailing how his grave was found and the methods used to identify his 500-year-old-skeleton.
There’s plenty more to Leicester however, including prominent museums, attractions, and places like The National Space Centre, Curve Theatre and the 15th century half-timbered Guildhall as well as The New Walk Museum and the Cathedral in which Richard III was re-buried in the year 2015. The city of 2016 gave us one of the most remarkable underdog stories. Leicester City won the Premier League despite having started in the league with odds as high as 55,000-1. Leicester City are a team of Foxes are based in the King Power Stadium with a large capacity of more than 30,000.
2. Melton Mowbray
Two famous English delights are served at Melton Mowbray.
The first one comes the pie made of pork that is cured and seasoned pork minced and packed in the pastry.
The food that is portable is designed to be cold. It first found favour among foxhunters during the 19th century.
This market has also one of very few towns that allow to make blue stilton. which is a strong, crumbly cheese that is delicious with port in the Christmas season.
In the traditional surroundings, there are festivals and celebrations each year to celebrate the city’s culinary contribution There’s The Melton Mowbray Food Festival in October, and the Cheese Fair that takes place at close of April to mention just two.
3. Loughborough
The largest city outside of Leicester is bounded with Loughborough University, which makes around half of the total population at termtime.
In the summer, the town is lively and fun and between June and September, it’s more calm, depending on your preference.
In October, there’s October is the Loogabarooga Festival, a literary event that brings illustrators and authors to town, with plenty of activities for kids to be up to.
The central part of Loughborough was modernized in the 1930s and gave it a striking art deco buildings, such as the cinema at Cattle Market.
The town’s weekly market will also remind that you’re part of an area that is healthy and rural that trades on Saturdays and Thursdays, with a vintage marketplace on Fridays.
4. Market Harborough
A building that will grab your attention immediately right away in Market Harborough is the Old Grammar School.
More that 400 years older, and restored in 2014, this unusual timber-framed structure was home to an English grammar school on its first floor. It also stood above a market for butter, which has become an art marketplace on Saturdays.
In the Harborough Museum the show-stealer is the Hallaton Treasure, the largest collection that consists of Iron Age coins discovered in Britain with a total of more than 130 . It was discovered in the year 2000. Next to it is the Old Grammar School is the Grade I-listed St. Dionysius’ Church, mostly dating to the middle age period and featuring a the solemn 47-metre spire, which is designed to complete the historical scene that is located in the middle of Harborough town.
5. Market Bosworth
It is possible to follow the path of Richard’s final days in this charming market town just a few minutes north of the battlefield , where Richard passed away in 1485, ending the Plantagenet era and ushering in the arrival of the Tudors of 1485. When Richard’s remains were found, the cortege of the King’s funeral travelled to Market Bosworth in 2015 en heading for Leicester Cathedral.
The Bosworth Field Heritage Centre is situated in a rural park and features indoor galleries featuring arms and weapons, some of which are original, and some that are replicas that you can try on.
There are also regularly scheduled guided walks to guide you to the most important places on the site, and to add historical significance to the sights you visit.
6. Hinckley
A bit to the south towards the south of Market Bosworth, Hinckley is also near Bosworth’s Battlefield at Bosworth for those who want to take advantage of the most significant historical event that was a significant event in English history.
The town’s history of manufacturing is also fascinating: The main industry that was thriving in Hinckley was hosiery. It goes in the 1600s before the knitting machine with the framework was invented.
It is located in the Hinckley District Museum and District Museum is located in an original set of framework cottages. They will explain everything you must be aware of about the town’s knitting heritage and features old-fashioned hand-operated frames available to view.
Similar to most other places the church’s attendance in Hinckley has been declining for a long time.
However, the ancient St Mary’s Church is still active in the community, as the north chapel has been transformed into a cafe bar, and there’s also an unofficial bookshop.
7. Lutterworth
In the southern part of the county Lutterworth is a town that markets which was granted its charter for a market in 1214. A few food stalls follow this tradition on Thursdays.
For curious people, there are some built-in structures and other minor landmarks to visit in the center.
Lutterworth Town Hall is a late-Georgian structure dating from 1836. It is distinguished by its rounded edges . It was created by the same person, Joseph Hansom, who provided us with Birmingham Town Hall and the Hansom-designed cab drawn by horses.
There are two excellent traditional pubs that are old-fashioned: The Cavalier Inn and The Shambles Inn, both with thatched roofs, with the former dates in the 1500s.
Stanford House, is the luxurious manor house in the town from 1690 and within the Lutterworth Museum, you can see the patent that was used to create the first jet engine on the planet.
8. Mountsorrel
A top five most desired addresses in Leicestershire The Mountsorrel estate has a lot of historic properties and is located in the lush and undulating countryside. However, it is also quick to get towards Leicester towards the south.
The place to meet at Mountsorrel can be found in Mountsorrel’s Butter Market, which has classic design dates back to the 1790s.
It is interesting that this was replaced by an earlier market cross which was then taken by Lord of the Manor , who had his home in Swithley and is still remains.
Take your kids to a visit to the Stonehurst Family Farm It’s which is a farm that children can interact with all kinds of domestic animals, and where there’s also an automobile museum featuring an impressive collection of vintage tractors as well as sports automobiles.
9. Oadby
A quiet town just minutes away from the city of Leicester, Oadby has a many things to say about it.
The Brocks Hill Country Park, in the midst of 30 hectares of woodland and meadows, there is an Environment Centre with solar panels wind turbines, wind turbines, and rainwater collectors that teach children about renewable energy.
A beautiful park of a distinct kind can be found in one of the Botanic Garden at Leicester University, maintained by the genetics department at the university and surrounded by beautiful Edwardian estate.
In Oadby There is Leicester Racecourse, which hosts events of the National Hunt (jumping) and races on the flat. You there’s always something to do when there’s a chance to visit.
10. Kirby Muxloe
Another important part of part of the Richard III trail is this village just a couple of miles to the west of Leicester.
Kirby Muxloe Castle is a gorgeous and very romantic 15th century ruin, surrounded by moat.
Anyone who has read Shakespeare’s Richard III will know its owner, William Hastings.
A defender in Richard’s House of York, Hastings was accused of betrayal, and executed within just a few minutes in London in 1483. The construction of his home and fortress was stopped right away and this only made the ruin of the castle more intriguing.
You could make a full day of it by playing at the highly rated Kirby Muxloe Golf Course, open to non-members and operating since 1893.
