City of Leicester & Leicestershire - The Good and Historical Stuff

[davieG]

Joanne Vigor-Mungovin - Author Hidden Leicester ·

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On this day 9 December 1869, St Stephen's Presbyterian Church on London Road in Leicester was opened.

In 1891, during the construction of the current railway station, the church was meticulously dismantled and then painstakingly relocated, piece by piece, to its current location on the intersection of De Montfort Street and New Walk.

This historic church has since become widely renowned as 'The Church that moved'.

St Stephen's is now a United Reformed Church.

[davieG]

Made In Leicester

Rob Hubble ·1h ·

Birstall Street 1964

From a Dennis Calow B/W photograph.

 

Starts at the junction of Dysart Way / Catherine Street

[davieG]

Made In Leicester

Rob Hubble 

Abbey Park 1955.

[davieG]

 

Leicester Memories

Graham Hulme ·

Old postcard view of the Church of St Mary de Castro and the Turret Gateway, early 1900s. The ruined Turret Gateway, sometimes referred to as Prince Rupert’s Gateway, was a defensive structure of Leicester Castle and was built about 1422-23 (the original Norman motte and bailey castle had been constructed at the site in about 1068 - the motte, or mound, still exists, though it was reduced in height around the early 1800s to form a bowling green on the top). The Turret Gateway gave access from the Newarke, an outer work of the castle built around 1330 by Henry, Earl of Lancaster, to the inner bailey where the castle’s historic great hall is still situated. The great hall was originally built about 1150 by Robert de Beaumont ‘le Bossu’, 2nd Earl of Leicester, and the Assize courts were held there from the 1270s. In addition, medieval English kings occasionally stayed at the castle and held their parliaments in the great hall. The area around the Newarke witnessed some fierce fighting during the Civil War siege of Leicester in May 1645. The attacking Royalist forces were commanded by Prince Rupert of the Rhine, nephew of King Charles I, and the gateway’s later name derives from this (though the name seems to have originally applied to another gateway nearby which no longer exists). When the Royalists finally broke through into Leicester a brutal house to house battle ensued as the Parliamentarian soldiers and also civilians of the town defended every street, refusing to surrender. Eventually they retreated to the High Cross to face a final Royalist onslaught. The King’s forces exacted a terrible price for this stubborn resistance, sacking the town. Hundreds of its defenders were slaughtered, men, women and children, and in the aftermath many were summarily executed. The Turret Gateway is associated with the legend of Black Annis, a terrifying blue-faced witch with iron claws. The hag reputedly haunts the gateway and old cellars of the castle, waiting to pounce on unwary passers-by during the midnight hours. The Norman church of St Mary de Castro dates back to around 1107 and was built by Robert de Beaumont, 1st Earl of Leicester, as a collegiate chapel of the castle. The church was extended around 1160-80 and in the 13th century a large south aisle and the tower were added. The spire is believed to have been constructed around 1400 but was rebuilt in 1783 and was dismantled in 2014 due to it becoming unsafe. The ivy clad building seen to the right of the gateway was originally a chantry house for two priests, founded by William Wyggeston (d. 1536) a rich wool merchant of Leicester who was thrice mayor of the town and four times mayor of Calais. He also founded the almshouse Wyggeston’s Hospital in 1513 and his statue features on Leicester Clock Tower. The Chantry House now forms part of the Newarke Houses Museum.

[westernpark]

Nice to see the Menorah up on Victoria Park.

Edited 13 December 2025 by westernpark

[davieG]

Memories of Leicester

Rob Grassby - I think everyone from Leicester can remember Ainley's records, not sure what year this was taken but I reckon it was early 80's..

[davieG]

Don't hold your breath!

 

 

https://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/news/local-news/major-new-roads-proposed-help-10701837

 

Major new roads proposed to help Leicestershire cope with housing increase
Three new roads are on the cards

Hannah Richardson Local Democracy Reporter
04:00, 13 Dec 2025

A lot of traffic on the freeway
View Image
Highways capacity is “no longer appropriate” to support expected population growth(Image: Jackyenjoyphotography via Getty Images)
Multiple major new routes are on the cards for Leicestershire to help its roads cope with an increase in housing developments.

Highways capacity is “no longer appropriate” to support expected population growth in the coming years, Leicestershire County Council has said. As such, “significant investment” will be needed to ensure the roads can cope with new housing developments, with the authority saying there is “no magic bullet” for meeting the increased need.

The authority, which is responsible for managing the county’s roads, has put forward a number of proposals for relieving traffic pressure in key areas. These early plans have come forward in response to concerns from local communities, councillors and MPs.

Among the projects being considered is a new route from the A47 East to a new potential new junction to the south of Junction 21 of the M1. This would be aimed at relieving pressure at the junction and in south Leicestershire, with officers labelling it “essential” to enable the delivery of the amount of housing and employment developments planned in the area and particularly in Blaby district.

Dozens of new affordable Leicestershire homes near to M1 given the green light

Full list of Leicestershire services to benefit from David Wilson Homes' £2m funding pot

A second scheme on the cards is a new road around the Kibworth villages. Officers said early work suggests “a new road around the villages is the only solution to address the current traffic problems and suitably mitigate future growth”.

Finally, the council is looking at bringing forward the long-touted Eastern District Distributor Road, originally intended to be built in the 1990s. The previous plan for the route would have seen it form part of the missing stretch of the A563 Outer District Distributor Road between the A47 East and A6 South.

 

Officers said the scheme would look at how the route could address problems on the A6 corridor through Oadby and how it might be used to reduce traffic travelling on less suitable routes in the area.

Officers have warned, however, that the “nature and scale” of the new transport infrastructure needed in Leicestershire is “not deliverable in the short-term”, with these projects being proposed as a longer-term solution to be brought forward over the “next decades. They added: “It is difficult to see how, in the shorter term, it will be possible to avoid continued further traffic impacts on local communities.”

The county council is expecting the population of Leicestershire to increase by 23 per cent to 830,618 by 2043. A total of 5,892 new homes need to be built each year in Leicester and Leicestershire to meet Government-set targets.

Councillor Adam Tilbury, Leicestershire County Council cabinet member for highways and transport, said “population growth brings challenges” and “demands” on transport systems, adding the council needed to “plan ahead”.

He continued: “In order for our strategy to be a success, we need to work with districts and feed into their local planning policies. This is vital to ensure new homes and jobs come with the infrastructure communities both want and need.

“Early work has highlighted some key schemes that we expect would make a difference to residents, and we hope that work to develop the strategy will go a long way to helping make these become a possibility.”

[Free Falling Foxes]

10 hours ago, davieG said:

Don't hold your breath!

 

 

https://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/news/local-news/major-new-roads-proposed-help-10701837

 

Major new roads proposed to help Leicestershire cope with housing increase
Three new roads are on the cards

Hannah Richardson Local Democracy Reporter
04:00, 13 Dec 2025

A lot of traffic on the freeway
View Image
Highways capacity is “no longer appropriate” to support expected population growth(Image: Jackyenjoyphotography via Getty Images)
Multiple major new routes are on the cards for Leicestershire to help its roads cope with an increase in housing developments.

Highways capacity is “no longer appropriate” to support expected population growth in the coming years, Leicestershire County Council has said. As such, “significant investment” will be needed to ensure the roads can cope with new housing developments, with the authority saying there is “no magic bullet” for meeting the increased need.

The authority, which is responsible for managing the county’s roads, has put forward a number of proposals for relieving traffic pressure in key areas. These early plans have come forward in response to concerns from local communities, councillors and MPs.

Among the projects being considered is a new route from the A47 East to a new potential new junction to the south of Junction 21 of the M1. This would be aimed at relieving pressure at the junction and in south Leicestershire, with officers labelling it “essential” to enable the delivery of the amount of housing and employment developments planned in the area and particularly in Blaby district.

Dozens of new affordable Leicestershire homes near to M1 given the green light

Full list of Leicestershire services to benefit from David Wilson Homes' £2m funding pot

A second scheme on the cards is a new road around the Kibworth villages. Officers said early work suggests “a new road around the villages is the only solution to address the current traffic problems and suitably mitigate future growth”.

Finally, the council is looking at bringing forward the long-touted Eastern District Distributor Road, originally intended to be built in the 1990s. The previous plan for the route would have seen it form part of the missing stretch of the A563 Outer District Distributor Road between the A47 East and A6 South.

 

Officers said the scheme would look at how the route could address problems on the A6 corridor through Oadby and how it might be used to reduce traffic travelling on less suitable routes in the area.

Officers have warned, however, that the “nature and scale” of the new transport infrastructure needed in Leicestershire is “not deliverable in the short-term”, with these projects being proposed as a longer-term solution to be brought forward over the “next decades. They added: “It is difficult to see how, in the shorter term, it will be possible to avoid continued further traffic impacts on local communities.”

The county council is expecting the population of Leicestershire to increase by 23 per cent to 830,618 by 2043. A total of 5,892 new homes need to be built each year in Leicester and Leicestershire to meet Government-set targets.

Councillor Adam Tilbury, Leicestershire County Council cabinet member for highways and transport, said “population growth brings challenges” and “demands” on transport systems, adding the council needed to “plan ahead”.

He continued: “In order for our strategy to be a success, we need to work with districts and feed into their local planning policies. This is vital to ensure new homes and jobs come with the infrastructure communities both want and need.

“Early work has highlighted some key schemes that we expect would make a difference to residents, and we hope that work to develop the strategy will go a long way to helping make these become a possibility.”

Swamping an already over developed area of the city/county with new roads and 1000s of new homes.

[davieG]

Hidden Leicester  · 

Graham Hulme 

 

Old postcard of Hill Top, London Road, c.1910. The Evington Road junction is seen on the right. The corner of Granville Road is on the left behind the trees.

[davieG]

Made In Leicester

Rob Hubble 

The Luke Turner Factory

Being demolished 1970 across the road is the Swan & Rushes Pub.

 

 

I have no memory of this building and I know I went to the Swan & Rushes during the late 60s 70s

[Free Falling Foxes]

6 hours ago, davieG said:

Hidden Leicester  · 

Graham Hulme 

 

Old postcard of Hill Top, London Road, c.1910. The Evington Road junction is seen on the right. The corner of Granville Road is on the left behind the trees.

A little busier these days.

[davieG]

Littlethorpe Life  · 

Richard Lord 

A 1777 map of our area.

[davieG]

Made In Leicester

Neil Kiely 

ABC cinema on Belgrave gate 80s

[davieG]

Growing up in my Britain was GREAT

 

[davieG]

John Ghent Leicester Estate Agent

 

 

The Empire – Fosse Road North

Once a lively local known as The Empire, this pub stood proudly on Fosse Road North before being demolished to make way for the Lidl that now occupies the site.

From pints and chatter to shopping trolleys and bargains — times really do change.

Who remembers a drink in The Empire? Was it your local?

#LostLeicester #TheEmpirePub #FosseRoadNorth #LeicesterHistory #PubChronicles

[davieG]

John Ghent Leicester Estate Agent

 

Spinney Hill in 1981 — a perfect snapshot of how Leicester grew.

Endless rows of terraced housing wrapped around vital green spaces. Abbey, Fosse Road, Spinney Hill, Humberstone, Victoria, Western — parks that gave the city room to breathe even as density increased.

Urban planning at its most human.

[davieG]

 

History of Leicestershire in Images

Anne Lee

Thought this might be of interest?

 

[Trav Le Bleu]

 

 

[kenny]

 

I don't think they like us in Leicestershire.

 

[kushiro]

20 hours ago, davieG said:

 

History of Leicestershire in Images

Anne Lee

Thought this might be of interest?

 

 

Fascinating map, that. Looking closely you can see that the old Main Stand at Filbert Street was designated as one of the WW2 air raid shelters (blue arrow). The position of the green arrow suggests Tigers' ground.  Between those two is Hazel Street school, which the guide tells us was to be used only 'after school hours':

 

 

That chequered circle just below the Filbert Street circle is one of the buildings you can see on the shot below from just after the war, probably the Hosilco hosiery factory near the old SK1 turnstiles:

 

 

Ironically, as you can see in that shot, the Filbert Street Main Stand wasn't the safest of places during WW2 - hit by a bomb in 1941, then suffering even worse damage in a fire a year later. The roof still hasn't been repaired in that picture, and wouldn't be until 1949 due to a shortage of building materials.

Edited 18 December 2025 by kushiro

[davieG]

 

Major £50 million boost for Leicester's hospitals to create new urgent care centre
The country's busiest A&E is set to get a £12.8 million new treatment centre

Dylan Hayward Reporter
18:50, 22 Dec 2025
Updated 09:17, 23 Dec 2025

An artist's impression of the new urgent care centre (Image: UHL)
Leicester's three hospitals are set for a major transformation after more than £50 million in funding was approved. The money will pay for a new £12.8 million urgent care centre at the Leicester Royal Infirmary (LRI) and a £39 million overhaul of facilities across the city's hospital sites.

NHS England has given the green light for the Urgent Treatment Centre at the LRI, which has the busiest Emergency Department in the country. A further £39 million has been approved for enabling works across the three sites by the national New Hospital Programme (NHP), which is the biggest hospital building programme in a generation, according to NHS England.

The enabling works will begin in early 2026 and finish in early 2028, paving the way for the main construction phase of the New Hospital Programme in 2032. Construction on the new urgent care centre is expected to start in the first quarter of 2026 ahead of a 2027 opening.

The new Urgent Treatment Centre will replace the current MIaMI (Minor Injuries and Minor Illnesses) service and will be located next to the Medical Same Day Emergency Care unit, according to University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust (UHL). The purpose-built facility will provide larger clinical rooms, diagnostic testing and appropriate facilities for both adults and children, with a second storey constructed for the future expansion of theatres.

 

Dr Saad Jawaid, Consultant in Emergency and Pre-hospital Emergency Medicine, said: "We're excited to have had this funding approved by NHS England to create a purpose-built Urgent Treatment Centre to help further improve the experiences of patients who require urgent care but do not need the services of our Emergency Department."

The investment follows on other recent expansions, such as the East Midlands Planned Care Centre and Endoscopy Unit at Leicester General Hospital, the Preston Lodge rehabilitation unit in North Evington, and the Hinckley Community Diagnostic Centre, all of which have been developed as part of the Government's 10-year plan.

 

The new enabling works will include major changes at the Leicester Royal Infirmary, where services will be relocated from Knighton Street, the trust said. A six-storey extension to the Windsor Building and refurbishment of space in the Victoria and Jarvis Buildings will create modern training facilities, laboratories for Immunology and Cytogenetics - the study of chromosomes, and expanded Pharmacy services.

Plans include a six-storey extension to the Windsor Building and refurbishment of space in the Victoria and Jarvis Buildings at Leicester Royal Infirmary

 

At Leicester General Hospital, the Hearing and Balance service will move to a purpose-built home in the refurbished East Midlands Planned Care Centre, while Occupational Health teams currently based at the LRI will relocate to a refurbished Baldwin Lodge at Glenfield Hospital.

Richard Mitchell, UHL chief executive, said: "These two funding announcements are a fantastic Christmas present for the people of Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland, and they are welcome news for colleagues. The new Urgent Treatment Centre will make it easier for patients to access the right care quickly, reducing waiting times and improving their experience.

"The enabling works will mean we can move services and teams into purpose-built facilities and pave the way for the main construction phase of the NHP in 2032. Securing this funding is good news for everyone – colleagues, patients and partners – and is a big step forward in delivering our long-term vision to be leading in healthcare, trusted in communities."

Natalie Forrest, Chief Operating Officer at the national New Hospital Programme, said: "This is very welcome news for the people of Leicester, Leicestershire, and Rutland. This investment will allow University Hospitals of Leicester to begin vital enabling works across its hospital sites, laying the foundations for modern, high-quality facilities in the years ahead.

[davieG]

 

 

https://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/news/leicester-news/entire-leicester-bus-network-set-10721006#comments-wrapper

 

Entire Leicester bus network set to be fully electric by 2027 as new investment unveiled
An increase in zero emission buses is coming to the city

News
Tom Mack Senior Reporter
14:06, 23 Dec 2025

An extra £8 million of government funding has been agreed to provide Leicester with enough electric buses to cover the city's entire network.

An extra 60 electric buses will be brought into use between September 2026 and March 2027, taking the total number to 240.

While the electricity used for the buses might be generated using fossil fuels, the electric buses themselves produce no harmful emissions, which means they don't add to air pollution on their routes.

Services in the city are run by Leicester City Council in partnership with bus companies Arriva and Centrebus. The two companies will contribute £18 million between them to pay the rest of the cost of the 60 new buses.

 

Geoff Whittle, assistant city mayor for transport and climate, said all the new funding meant the total investment made in Leicester’s electric bus fleet over the past four years is now £100 million.

He said: “Providing zero emission buses across our whole city network is a huge achievement, made possible by the excellent work being done by the Leicester Buses Partnership.

 

“The bus companies have made a huge commitment to cleaner, greener travel in Leicester, and the council has had great success in securing additional funds from the Department for Transport, which has been very supportive of Leicester’s aims.

“Together, we are bringing to life our ambitious 10-year plan to improve services, vehicles and routes across Leicester, and encourage more people to use the city’s public transport network.”

The 60 new buses will include four vehicles run by Centrebus and the rest will be run by Arriva, which is providing about £17 million of the £18 million.

Toby France of Arriva Midlands said: “This investment by Arriva in a further 56 UK-built, electric buses will more than double our zero-emission fleet in Leicester, and helps shape a future where people choose to leave their cars at home with less congestion on our roads, and cleaner air for the next generation.”

David Brookes, Centrebus managing director, said: “We share the council’s commitment to cleaner, greener travel and we’re pleased to contribute to reducing emissions and improving journeys for local residents.”

It is estimated that the new zero emission buses will help reduce the city’s carbon dioxide by 3,000 tonnes per year. Carbon dioxide is harmless to humans but adds to the greenhouse effect.
And the new buses will reduce nitrogen dioxide emissions by more than a tonne. Nitrogen dioxide is a toxic gas that can cause respiratory problems.

Roads and buses minister Simon Lightwood said: “Electric buses offer smoother, quieter and greener journeys for people across the country, so I’m delighted to see that Leicester City Council, backed by £8 million in government funding, is continuing their tremendous work and rolling them out across the whole of their network.”

[davieG]

Leicestershire Archaeological & Historical Society ·

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Day 24 of LAHS Advent The Melton Mowbray Polish Resettlement Camp: Differing Perspectives

LAHS Member, Jakub Milcarz, explores the contrasting views of the British government and Polish inhabitants of the camp during the 1950s.

Visit https://lahs.org.uk/.../the-melton-mowbray-polish...#

Image: A Polish family outside their Nissen Hut in Melton Mowbray 1954.. Photo courtesy of Polish Resettlement Camps in the UK 1946-1969 website. https://www.polishresettlementcampsintheuk.co.uk/

#Advent #Leicester #Leicestershire #Polish #postwar

 

[Trav Le Bleu]

I did not know this. Leicestershire origins allegedly.

 

Did a big night out make us 'paint the town red'? - BBC News

 

https://share.google/YlBlFlVYQWw9UtirY

 

 

[davieG]

Hidden Leicester  · 

Graham Hulme 

 

An old postcard view of Narborough Road. The card was posted to West Bridge in Leicester in March 1910. The tower just seen in the far distance appears to belong to the former Westcotes Secondary School. This was originally called the Narborough Road School which was built for the Leicester School Board and opened in January 1903. The building was designed by the Leicester architect Edward Burgess (1847-1929) who did several other distinctive school buildings around the city for the old School Board (the Leicester School Board had been established in 1871 following the passing of the 1870 Education Act). The architect is also notable for his design of the late Victorian Leicester coffee houses and the impressive Alexandra House, the former bootlace warehouse, built for Faire Brothers on Rutland Street. The Narborough Road School was one of the last to be commissioned by the Board before that body was disbanded, like all other school boards around the country, following the 1902 Education Act and responsibility passed to a new Education Committee of the council. The Narborough Road School became a secondary modern school following the passing of the 1944 Education Act.