Leicester’s history can be traced back to an Iron Age settlement by the River Soar and a subsequent Roman town where the Fosse Way crossed the river. Medieval Leicester flourished around its Norman castle, merchants and religious houses but was also subject to plagues and civil war. Industrialisation and coal mining brought wealth into Leicester in the nineteenth century but also prepared the ground for welfare movements and radical politics in the city. Today’s Leicester is a bustling cit...

Leicester Through Time is a unique insight into the illustrious history of this part of the country. Reproduced in full colour, this is an exciting examination of Leicester, the famous streets and the famous faces, and what they meant to the people of Leicester throughout the 19th and into the 20th Century. Looking beyond the exquisite exterior of these well-kept photos, readers can see the historical context in which they are set. Through the author's factual captions for every picture, a...

John Nichols’ monumental History and Antiquities of the County of Leicester has been the foundation of historical research in Leicestershire since it was completed in eight massive volumes in 1815. With millions of words, including transcripts of documents from the Domesday Book onwards, and thousands of engravings of churches, their monuments, houses, lakes, abbeys, castles, coats of arms and even fossils, this was a project on a scale never envisaged before, and rarely since. A London pr...

There is a history of Leicester that is hidden from view, or simply not recognised today because it is so familiar. There are Norman and medieval arches below landmark buildings, mosaics beneath the Central Ring Road and the remains of the town's first railway station just minutes away from a major hotel. 'Secret Leicester' goes behind the facades of the familiar to discover the lesser-known artefacts of Leicester's fascinating past, brought to life through revealing images of the past and...

Leicester History Tour is a unique insight into the illustrious history of this East Midlands city. Local author Stephen Butt guides us through the streets and alleyways, showing how its famous landmarks used to look and how they’ve changed over the years, as well as exploring its lesser-known places and hidden corners. With the help of a handy location map, readers are invited to follow a timeline of events and discover for themselves the changing face of Leicester.

Leicester is an old town with a long history reaching back across two thousand years of human activity and experience. Historically, it is a very well-documented town. Leicester has a rich antiquarian record with plenty of other writings and documents that add to our knowledge of how our predecessors lived and, just as importantly, what they experienced during their lives. This book details the various hauntings and lore of Leicester; from the malevolent Black Annis to the debated involvem...

For the people of Leicester, the 1960s was a decade of great social and economic change. It was to see a revolution in social attitudes reflected in the popular music of the time, in fashion, and in the print and broadcast media. Life changed for everyone. Railway stations closed as the motor vehicle grew in popularity. National Service ended, the pirate radio stations were scuppered, colour television became available, and the fashion garments manufactured by Leicester’s giant textile com...

Leicester is built upon the work of the innovators, entrepreneurs and pioneers of past centuries. Henry Walker looked for a meat substitute during rationing after the Second World War and created the world-famous potato crisp brand. Another local man, Henry Curry, used metalworking skills acquired maintaining steam engines to construct bicycles, and his business would later become Curry’s PC World. In this book, author Stephen Butt celebrates the heritage, culture and identity of the city....

Rutland is at the very heart of England. It is England's smallest historic county, less than twenty miles in distance from north to south or east to west, a patchwork of incredibly picturesque and peaceful villages. At its centre is Rutland Water, by surface area the largest reservoir in the country covering more than 3000 acres of land, which has matured over the past thirty years into a sanctuary for wildlife and a major tourist attraction. From hilltop stately homes to clusters of thatc...

This illustrated history portrays one of England’s finest major cities and some of its county towns and villages. It provides a nostalgic look at Leicester’s past and highlights the special character of some of its most important historic sites. The photographs are taken from the Historic England Archive, a unique collection of over 12 million photographs, drawings, plans and documents covering England’s archaeology, architecture, social and local history. Pictures date from the earliest d...

Nineteenth century visitors to Ashby entered a world of make-believe, thanks to Sir Walter Scott's romantic hero, Ivanhoe. They flocked to the town in their thousands to bathe in the spa waters which were brought in by train and canal, and to relax in the shadow of the impressive castle ruins. A thriving market town in the heart of the National Forest, Ashby is still a place for history and heritage. Georgian frontages line the ancient Market Street, and all around are reminders of the bui...

Famous for pork pies and Stilton cheese, and its magnificent cathedrallike parish church, the wider and older history and heritage of Melton Mowbray is illustrated in this book. The lost medieval stone crosses, the town's connections with the little Saxon and Danish villages clustered along the valley of the River Wreake, and Melton's ancient markets that date from before Domesday but are still thriving today in the bustling streets of the old town are all recorded here.Set in the heart of...