City of Leicester & Leicestershire - The Good and Historical Stuff

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Newarke Street

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Leicester Memories

Rob Murray  · dernstopSof14g1ut46lg50f428u4c6uc7l3c89t931im1i7f4fi0mhlfhct  · 

London Road tollgate 1878

 

 

I believe it was located near Victoria Park (Race Course) and Mayfield Road

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History of Leicestershire in Images

Charlotte Victoria Hubbard  ·   · 

 

 

Silver Street now/then.

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History of Leicestershire in Images

Steve Anderson  ·   · 

 

 

New Street Now and Then.

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History of Leicestershire in Images

Steve Anderson  · 7 m  · 

 

 

Charles Street Now and Then.

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Story of Leicester  · 

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Corah & Sons’ vast St Margaret's Works, that stretched across many buildings and factories in north Leicester.

St Margaret’s Works was designed by Leicester architect William Jackson and built on a four acre site in the shadow of St Margaret’s Church (between what is now Vaughan Way and the River Soar). At the time it was the largest factory of its kind in Leicester. It had a vast range of north lit workshops running down to an engine house, with a 145 foot chimney, near the river.

All hosiery products carried Corah’s ‘St Margaret’ trademark, which took its name from the neighbouring church. This trademark was one of the first to be registered for knitted goods. Corah supplied trade-marked knitted items for Marks and Spencer for over 80 years, and the site produced tens of millions of knitted items for the government during both World Wars.

Do you know anyone that used to work at St Margaret’s Works?

Read the full story at: https://www.storyofleicester.info/.../corah-and-sons-st.../

#StoryofLeicester

[davieG]

Born and Raised in Leicester  · 

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1948 - Welford Road, Leicester.

An Art Deco Cinema "Knighton Kinema", and an Electric Tram

 

 

Spent plenty of Saturday mornings at the Knighton Kinema

[davieG]

1969

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Born and Raised in Leicester  · 

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Glenfield Tunnel is one of the world’s first steam railway tunnels and is just over one mile long. It was designed by the famous railway engineer George Stephenson and built between 1829–32 under the supervision of his son Robert

It forms part of the Leicester & Swannington railway network, one of the first to be built in the world. The railway was designed to bring coal from the North West Leicestershire coalfields into Leicester, to then be trans-shipped to the canal for distribution all over the country. The first obstacle to this major venture proved to be the ridge extending from Gilroes to Glenfield village which required a tunnel a mile long.

The project to build this tunnel really tested its engineers, involving techniques that were then virtually untried. Faulty trial drillings suggested the bore would be through stone and clay, when, in fact, much of the bore would turn out to be in running sand. This necessitated a great deal more work and expense. The tunnel had to be lined throughout in brickwork between 14” and 18” thick, backed by a “wooden shell” where running sand was encountered. Bricks for the lining, after dissatisfaction with the original supplier, were made in an on-site kiln. Owing to the problems encountered, the tunnel construction ran well over the proposed budget of £10,000, finally costing £17,326 12s 2½d. which is well over a million pounds in today money. However, the finished job was straight and level and was in use for over 130 years.

The first section of the tunnel was officially opened on 17th July 1832 and was marked by a special train for the Leicester and Swannington directors and 300 guests. Hauling it was “Comet” a locomotive provided by Robert Stephenson.

Glenfield’s tight clearances required lower, narrower carriages with bars over the windows to prevent decapitation. It is even rumoured that at the opening the engine’s funnel struck the tunnels roof, showering soot over those in open carriages.

When the railway closed in the 1960s, the redundant tunnel was bought by Leicester City Council for £5. Early inspections in 2000 however revealed serious flaws in the fabric of the tunnel which would necessitate reinforcement of the structure. The tunnel is not very far underground and it must be remembered that there were no buildings above it in 1832. Now, however, the area is built-up over its whole length and the risk of tunnel collapse (as had happened elsewhere), was unthinkable. A series of reinforced concrete hoops had to be designed and installed in the tunnel at a cost of £500,000 around 2007-

[davieG]

 

Sounds like an LCC strapline so much demolition approved very little done to follow through with better or even any replacements

[davieG]

[Parafox]

9 hours ago, davieG said:

 

Sounds like an LCC strapline so much demolition approved very little done to follow through with better or even any replacements

 

As far as I can remember,  a "new centre" was never built.

[davieG]

17 minutes ago, Parafox said:

 

As far as I can remember,  a "new centre" was never built.

Exactly "very little done to follow through with better or even any replacements"

 

Same with St Margarets Baths, although that was a cock up with wrong length of pool for serious competition or training.

[davieG]

Filbert St in the background

[Parafox]

33 minutes ago, davieG said:

Exactly "very little done to follow through with better or even any replacements"

 

Same with St Margarets Baths, although that was a cock up with wrong length of pool for serious competition or training.

 

I remember that. Made the city look foolish.

 

Wasn't Beaumont Leys leisure centre meant to be a replacement for St Margaret's?

[davieG]

3 minutes ago, Parafox said:

 

I remember that. Made the city look foolish.

 

Wasn't Beaumont Leys leisure centre meant to be a replacement for St Margaret's?

That or the one on Hinckley Road but we needed a City Centre one so people could get there by taking one bus. Besides I think they are both leisure pools.

[Parafox]

Just now, davieG said:

That or the one on Hinckley Road but we needed a City Centre one so people could get there by taking one bus. Besides I think they are both leisure pools.

 

They are. 

 

A shame really that we had a world class velodrome on Saffron Lane that hosted the world championships back in 1970 and then failed to do much after that and is now a housing estate. St Mag's could have been another feature had they not mistaken 100mts for 80mts in length. At least the diving pool and  boards were up to international standards.

[Paninistickers]

22 minutes ago, Parafox said:

 

They are. 

 

A shame really that we had a world class velodrome on Saffron Lane that hosted the world championships back in 1970 and then failed to do much after that and is now a housing estate. St Mag's could have been another feature had they not mistaken 100mts for 80mts in length. At least the diving pool and  boards were up to international standards.

Sums the city up. We never ever ever do anything properly. And even when we stumble and get it right - the cycling for example, a total white elephant for years - as soon as cycling becomes mainstream and big time, the fcking thing is bulldozed for affordable housing. 

 

Saw by pure coincidence the other day on youtube some yank cleverdick couple who were Roman historian fanatics, visiting st Albans, bath, York etc and were totally bemused when visiting Jewry wall that everywhere else celebrates the Roman heritage and Leicester locks theirs behind a MDF wall. 

[Parafox]

4 minutes ago, Paninistickers said:

Sums the city up. We never ever ever do anything properly. And even when we stumble and get it right - the cycling for example, a total white elephant for years - as soon as cycling becomes mainstream and big time, the fcking thing is bulldozed for affordable housing. 

 

Saw by pure coincidence the other day on youtube some yank cleverdick couple who were Roman historian fanatics, visiting st Albans, bath, York etc and were totally bemused when visiting Jewry wall that everywhere else celebrates the Roman heritage and Leicester locks theirs behind a MDF wall. 

 

I've not been to Jewry Wall for years and I understand there's been some work going on to make it more "interesting".

 

Also I can't believe the council closed the Newarke Gateway which housed the Leicestershire Regiment museum in such an historic building. It now stands there doing nothing.

Edited 20 March by Parafox

[davieG]

1 minute ago, Paninistickers said:

Sums the city up. We never ever ever do anything properly. And even when we stumble and get it right - the cycling for example, a total white elephant for years - as soon as cycling becomes mainstream and big time, the fcking thing is bulldozed for affordable housing. 

 

Saw by pure coincidence the other day on youtube some yank cleverdick couple who were Roman historian fanatics, visiting st Albans, bath, York etc and were totally bemused when visiting Jewry wall that everywhere else celebrates the Roman heritage and Leicester locks theirs behind a MDF wall. 

When I visited the Richard III exhibit I wrote in the visitors book What about our Roman Heritage. 
Plenty buried under the Highcross and Holiday Inn. Why could some of it be exposed in the Highcross as feature instead of buried. No imagination or ambition..

 

Englands Ist Environment City, how long did that last?

 

 

[Free Falling Foxes]

24 minutes ago, davieG said:

When I visited the Richard III exhibit I wrote in the visitors book What about our Roman Heritage. 
Plenty buried under the Highcross and Holiday Inn. Why could some of it be exposed in the Highcross as feature instead of buried. No imagination or ambition..

 

Englands Ist Environment City, how long did that last?

 

 

That was, and continues to be, a fecking joke.

[Parafox]

31 minutes ago, davieG said:

When I visited the Richard III exhibit I wrote in the visitors book What about our Roman Heritage. 
Plenty buried under the Highcross and Holiday Inn. Why could some of it be exposed in the Highcross as feature instead of buried. No imagination or ambition..

 

Englands Ist Environment City, how long did that last?

 

 

 

6 minutes ago, Free Falling Foxes said:

That was, and continues to be, a fecking joke.

Well, they built a house on Western Park...

 

Seems to me the city council/planners don't know whether they're arsehole or watercress, and have never really had any vision or regard for the true history of our city. 

 

So many notable features have been removed, demolished or built over.

 

It truly saddens me.

Edited 20 March by Parafox