City of Leicester
Leicester city centre, looking towards the Clock Tower
Location within England
Coordinates: 52°38′06″N 1°08′06″W / 52.635, -1.135
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Constituent country	England
Region	East Midlands
Ceremonial county	Leicestershire
Admin HQ	Leicester
Founded	AD 50 as Ratae Corieltauvorum by the Romans
City Status	"restored" 1919
Government
- Type	Unitary authority, City
- Governing body
- Leadership	Leader & Cabinet
Area
- Total	28.3 sq mi (73.32 km²)
Population (2006 est.)
- Total	289,700 (Ranked 20th)
- Ethnicity (2001 Census)	63.8% White 29.9% S.Asian 3.1% Black 2.3% Mixed 0.8% Chinese.
Time zone	Greenwich Mean Time (UTC+0)
Grid Ref.	SK584044
ONS code	00FN
ISO 3166-2	GB-LCE
NUTS 3	UKF21
Website: http://www.leicester.gov.uk/

Leicester (pronounced IPA: /ˈlɛstə(r)/) is the largest city and unitary authority area in the English East Midlands. The city is the traditional county town of Leicestershire. For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... The original Leicester is in England. ... Download high resolution version (1000x723, 243 KB)Leicester city centre from Gallowtree Gate. ... One of the administrative counties of England File links The following pages link to this file: Leicester Wikipedia:WikiProject UK subdivisions Categories: GFDL images ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... Constituent countries is a phrase used, often by official institutions, in contexts in which a number of countries make up a larger entity or grouping, concerning these countries; thus the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has used the phrase in reference to the parts of former Yugoslavia... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... The East Midlands is one of the regions of England and consists of most of the eastern half of the traditional region of the Midlands. ... The Ceremonial counties of England are areas of England that are appointed a Lord-Lieutenant, and are defined by the government with reference to the metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties of England. ... Leicestershire ( IPA: (RP), IPA: (locally)), abbreviation Leics. ... AD redirects here. ... Ratae Corieltauvorum was a town in the Roman province of Britannia. ... A unitary authority is a type of local authority, which has a single tier and is responsible for all local government functions within its area. ... Historically, city status in England and Wales was associated with the presence of a cathedral, such as York Minster. ... The United Kingdom is divided into four parts, England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. ... This article is about the physical quantity. ... A square mile is an English unit of area equal to that of a square with sides each 1 statute mile (≈1,609 m) in length. ... To help compare sizes of different geographic regions, we list here areas between 10 km² (1000 hectares) and 100 km² (10,000 hectares). ... The figures are mid-year estimates for 2005, unless otherwise stated, from the Office for National Statistics [1]. See also: List of towns and cities in England by population - List of English counties by population - List of ceremonial counties of England by population - List of English districts by area - List... UK Census 2001 logo A nationwide census, commonly known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday 29 April 2001. ... Timezone and TimeZone redirect here. ... GMT redirects here. ... -12 | -11 | -10 | -9:30 | -9 | -8 | -7 | -6 | -5 | -4 | -3:30 | -3 | -2:30 | -2 | -1 | -0:25 | UTC (0) | +0:20 | +0:30 | +1 | +2 | +3 | +3:30 | +4 | +4:30 | +4:51 | +5 | +5:30 | +5:40 | +5:45 | +6 | +6:30 | +7 | +7:20 | +7... The British national grid reference system is a system of geographic grid references commonly used in Great Britain, different from using latitude or longitude. ... The Office for National Statistics coding system is a hierarchical code used in the United Kingdom for tabulating census and other statistical data. ... The ISO 3166-2 codes for the United Kingdom correspond to the nations administrative divisions. ... The Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics (NUTS) is a geocode standard for referencing the administrative division of countries for statistical purposes. ... Historically, city status in England and Wales was associated with the presence of a cathedral, such as York Minster. ... A unitary authority is a term used in a two-tier local government system to describe a unit of local government that operates as a single tier. ... The East Midlands is one of the regions of England and consists of most of the eastern half of the traditional region of the Midlands. ... A county town is the capital of a county in the United Kingdom or Republic of Ireland. ... Leicestershire ( IPA: (RP), IPA: (locally)), abbreviation Leics. ...

Leicester lies on the River Soar and at the edge of the English National Forest. In 2004, the population of the city proper was estimated at 285,100, with 441,213 living in the urban area. It is currently, by population, the 10th largest city in England and the 13th largest in the UK. The river in Leicester The River Soar is a tributary of the River Trent in the English East Midlands. ... The National Forest, which covers an area of 520 km² of Leicestershire, Derbyshire and Staffordshire, is described as a forest in the making. It stretches from Leicester in the east to Burton-upon-Trent in the west, and links the ancient forests of Needwood and Charnwood. ... The Leicester Urban Area is a conurbation based around the city of Leicester in Leicestershire, England. ...

The urban area extends beyond the boundaries of the city proper to include the satellite towns of Oadby, Wigston, Braunstone Town, Birstall, Glenfield, Blaby, Thurmaston, Syston and Leicester Forest East. A number of these towns are in fact closely integrated suburbs of the city itself, especially Glenfield and Braunstone. For areas within the city, see Areas of Leicester. In terms of population within the city limits it is the largest in the East Midlands. , Oadby is a town within the borough of Oadby and Wigston, in Leicestershire, England. ... Wigston (or more properly Wigston Magna to distinguish it from the nearby Wigston Parva), is a town in Leicestershire, just to the south of Leicester. ... Braunstone is a civil parish in the district of Blaby in Leicestershire, now known as the Town of Braunstone. ... Birstall is a large village north of Leicester in Leicestershire, England. ... Location within the British Isles A view of part of Glenfield from the 6th floor of the Leicestershire County Council County Hall, looking towards Bradgate Park. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Thurmaston is a village in the north of Leicestershire in the United Kingdom. ... Syston is a town and civil parish in the district of Charnwood in Leicestershire, England. ... Leicester Forest East or LFE is a settlement in Leicestershire, west of Leicester, straddling the M1 motorway. ...

General

The city is close to the M1 motorway, and is on the Midland Main Line from London St Pancras International to Sheffield, Nottingham and Leeds. High-speed trains operated by East Midlands Trains can reach London in just over an hour. It is also served by rail lines to Birmingham via Nuneaton, and to Cambridge via Peterborough. The M1 motorway heading south towards junction 37 at Barnsley, South Yorkshire. ... The Midland Main Line is a main railway line in the United Kingdom, part of the British railway system. ... St Pancras railway station, now officially known as St Pancras International, is a major station located in the St Pancras area of central London, between the new British Library building to the west and Kings Cross station to the east. ... For other uses, see Sheffield (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Nottingham (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Leeds (disambiguation) and Leeds City (disambiguation). ... Norwich will be at the eastern tip of the franchise area. ... This article is about the British city. ... , Nuneaton is the largest town in the English county of Warwickshire, and the borough of Nuneaton and Bedworth. ... This article is about the city in England. ... This article is about the city in the United Kingdom. ...

Major industries in Leicester today include food processing, hosiery, knitwear, engineering, electronics, printing and plastics.

The city centre is mainly Victorian with some later developments, which have usually been integrated in smoothly. The heart of the city centre is the Clock Tower, which is at the intersection of five routes into the city - High Street, Churchgate, Belgrave Gate, Humberstone Gate, and Gallowtree Gate. Today, the latter two are pedestrianised, and vehicles are restricted on the others, with the High Street currently being pedestrianised. The Shires, as seen from near the Clock Tower, seen to the right. ... Queen Victoria (shown here on the morning of her ascension to the Throne, 20 June 1837) gave her name to the historic era The Victorian era of the United Kingdom marked the height of the British Industrial Revolution and the apex of the British Empire. ...

The clock tower

Leicester City Centre is home to the Haymarket and the Shires (soon to be renamed Highcross Leicester) shopping centres, both of which face the Clock Tower. Leicester Market, Europe's largest covered market, is nearby. The historic core of the city lies slightly to the west, and monuments here include the Castle, the Anglican cathedral of St Martin, the medieval churches of St Mary de Castro and St. Nicholas, the Guildhall and the Jewry Wall. Download high resolution version (407x999, 131 KB)Leicester clock tower. ... Download high resolution version (407x999, 131 KB)Leicester clock tower. ... The Clock Tower Leicesters Clock Tower is a major landmark and popular meeting point in the city centre. ... The Shires, as seen from near the Clock Tower, seen to the right. ... The Haymarket is a shopping centre in the city centre of Leicester, England. ... The Shires is a shopping centre in Leicester, England. ... Leicester Market is a large market in Leicester, England, on Market Place just south of the clock tower. ... The term Anglican describes those people and churches following the religious traditions of the Church of England, especially following the Reformation. ... For other uses, see Cathedral (disambiguation). ... Leicester Cathedral, or St Martins Church is an Anglican cathedral in the English city of Leicester, and the seat of the Bishop of Leicester. ... St Mary de Castro (meaning St Mary of the Castle) is an ancient church in Leicester, England, near to Leicester Castle. ... St Nicholas Church is an Anglican parish church, and the oldest place of worship, in Leicester, England. ... Leicesters Guildhall is a very old timber framed building, that once acted as the town hall for the city. ... The wall The ruins of the baths The Jewry Wall in Leicester, England is the remaining wall of the public baths of Roman Leicester along with foundations of the baths, which are laid out in front of the wall. ...

There are a number of major developments on the horizon implemented by the Leicester Regeneration Company including the £60 million Leicester Performing Arts Centre designed by Rafael Viñoly. Rafael Viñoly, a world-famous architect, was born in 1944 in Uruguay. ...

In 1990, Leicester was designated the UK's first Environment City, and won the European Sustainable City Award in 1996.

Leicester has a large ethnic minority population, mainly from the Indian subcontinent. There are many Hindu mandirs, Sikh gurdwaras and Muslim mosques around the city, mostly converted from existing buildings. The Jain Temple in Leicester is near the city centre (The Jain Centre). The area around Belgrave Road is known as the Golden Mile, and contains many Indian restaurants, jewellery shops, and other shops catering to the large Asian community in the neighbourhood. Many people travel to the area specifically for the restaurants, which serve authentic Indian cuisine. The annual Diwali celebrations are also held here and at the nearby Abbey Park, and are the biggest outside of India. There are also many of Afro-Caribbean descent (mainly from Antigua & Barbuda, Montserrat and Jamaica), the community being centred around Highfields to the south-east of the city centre, and Leicester plays host to the second largest Caribbean Carnival in the UK after Notting Hill. This article is about the concept of a minority. ... Map of South Asia (see note) This article deals with the geophysical region in Asia. ... Bhavna says there are 300 million gods in Hinduism. ... // A Hindu temple is a house of worship for the followers of Hinduism. ... Religions Sikhism Scriptures Guru Granth Sahib Languages English, Punjabi] A Sikh (English: or ; Punjabi: , , IPA: ) is an adherent to Sikhism. ... The Harimandir Sahib. ... There is also a collection of Hadith called Sahih Muslim A Muslim (Arabic: مسلم, Persian: Mosalman or Mosalmon Urdu: مسلمان, Turkish: Müslüman, Albanian: Mysliman, Bosnian: Musliman) is an adherent of the religion of Islam. ... A mosque is a place of worship for followers of the Islamic faith. ... JAIN is an activity within the Java Community Process, developing APIs for the creation of telephony (voice and data) services. ... The Golden Mile is a name given to a stretch of Belgrave Road in Leicester, United Kingdom. ... The multiple families of Indian cuisine are characterized by their sophisticated and subtle use of many spices and herbs. ... Diwali,or Deepawali, (also called Tihar and Swanti in Nepal) (Markiscarali) is a major Indian and Nepalese festive holiday. ... Bridge over River Soar,Abbey park Remains of Cavendish house Abbey ruins Abbey Park is a public park in Leicester, England, through which the River Soar flows. ... Antigua and Barbuda is an island nation located in the eastern Caribbean Sea on the boundary with the Atlantic Ocean. ... Highfields is an inner city area of Leicester, England. ... Leicester Caribbean Carnival is an annual event, held in early August in Leicester, England. ... This article or section needs additional references or sources to improve its verifiability. ...

History

According to Geoffrey of Monmouth, a mythical king of the Britons King Leir founded the city of Kaerleir ('Leir's chester' – i.e. fortified town). Even today the name of the city in the Welsh language is Caerlŷr. He was supposedly buried by Queen Cordelia in a chamber beneath the River Soar near the city dedicated to the Roman god Janus, and every year people celebrated his feast-day near Leir's tomb.^[1] William Shakespeare's King Lear is loosely based on this story. Geoffrey of Monmouth (in Welsh: Gruffudd ap Arthur or Sieffre o Fynwy) (c. ... King Leir is an anonymous Elizabethan play published in 1605 but believed to have been written before 1594. ... Chester has several meanings: Places In the United Kingdom Chester, England In Canada Chester, Nova Scotia In the United States Chester, Arkansas Chester, California Chester, Connecticut Chester, Georgia Chester, Illinois Chester, Iowa Chester, Maine Chester, Maryland Chester, Massachusetts Chester, Montana Chester, Nebraska Chester, New Hampshire Chester, New Jersey Chester, Warren... Welsh redirects here, and this article describes the Welsh language. ... Queen Cordelia was a legendary queen of the Britons as accounted by Geoffrey of Monmouth. ... The river in Leicester The River Soar is a tributary of the River Trent in the English East Midlands. ... Janus may refer to: Janus (mythology), the two-faced god of gates, doors, doorways, beginnings, and endings in Roman mythology Janus (moon), a moon of Saturn Janus Patera, a shallow volcanic crater on Io, a moon of Jupiter Janus (simulation), a military combat simulation first developed in the late 1970s... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... King Lear and the Fool in the Storm by William Dyce (1806-1864) King Lear is a play by William Shakespeare, considered one of his greatest tragedies, based on the legend of King Lear of Britain. ...

Roman

The remains of the Roman baths at Jewry Wall

Main article: Ratae Corieltauvorum

Leicester is one of the oldest cities in England, with a history going back 2000 years. The city of Leicester was first known as Ratae Coritanorum and was inhabited by the Corieltauvi tribe. The Corieltauvi were a Celtic tribe and Leicester was the capital of a territory of what is now known as the East Midlands. Download high resolution version (950x713, 250 KB)The remains of the Roman public baths in Leicester, England, at the site of Jewry Wall. ... Download high resolution version (950x713, 250 KB)The remains of the Roman public baths in Leicester, England, at the site of Jewry Wall. ... The wall The ruins of the baths The Jewry Wall in Leicester, England is the remaining wall of the public baths of Roman Leicester along with foundations of the baths, which are laid out in front of the wall. ... Ratae Corieltauvorum was a town in the Roman province of Britannia. ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... The Coritani, or Corieltauvi, were one of the Celtic tribes living in the British Islands, previous to the Roman invasion of Britain. ... This article is about the European people. ...

The Roman city of Ratae Corieltauvorum was founded around AD 50 as a military settlement upon the Fosse Way Roman road. After the military departure, Ratae Corieltauvorum grew into an important trading and one of the largest towns in Roman Britain. The remains of the baths of Roman Leicester can be seen at the Jewry Wall and other Roman artefacts are displayed in the Jewry Wall Museum adjacent to the site. For other uses, see Roman Empire (disambiguation). ... Ratae Corieltauvorum was a town in the Roman province of Britannia. ... This article is about the year 50. ... The Fosse Way was a Roman road in England which linked Exeter (Isca Dumnoniorum) in South West England, to Lincoln (Lindum) in the East Midlands, via Bath (Aquae Sulis), Cirencester (Corinium) and Leicester (Ratae Coritanorum). ... Not to be confused with Romans road. ... Roman Britain refers to those parts of the island of Great Britain controlled by the Roman Empire between 43 and 410. ... Roman public baths in Bath, England. ... The wall The ruins of the baths The Jewry Wall in Leicester, England is the remaining wall of the public baths of Roman Leicester along with foundations of the baths, which are laid out in front of the wall. ...

Saxon and Viking

Knowledge of the town in the 5th century is very patchy, certainly there is some continuation of occupation of the town, though on a much reduced scale in the 5th and 6th centuries. Leicester was chosen as the centre of a bishopric (and therefore a city) in 679/80 which survived until the 9th century, when Leicester was captured by the Danes (Vikings) and became one of the five boroughs (fortified towns) of Danelaw, although this position was short lived. The Saxon Bishop of Leicester fled to Dorchester-on-Thames and Leicester was not to become a bishopric again until the 20th century. In some Christian churches, the diocese is an administrative territorial unit governed by a bishop, sometimes also referred to as a bishopric or episcopal see, though more often the term episcopal see means the office held by the bishop. ... The name Viking is a loan from the native Scandinavian term for the Norse seafaring warriors who raided the coasts of Scandinavia, Europe and the British Isles from the late 8th century to the 11th century, the period of European history referred to as the Viking Age. ... The Five Burghs or more usually The Five Boroughs or The Five Boroughs of the Danelaw were the five main towns of Danish Mercia. ... Gold: Danelaw The Danelaw, in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicles also known as the Danelagh, (Old English: Dena lagu; Danish: Danelagen), is a name given to a part of Great Britain, now northern and eastern England, in which the laws of the Danes[1] held predominance over those of the Anglo... The Bishop of Leicester is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Leicester in the Province of Canterbury. ...

It is believed the name "Leicester" is derived from the words castra (camp) of the Ligore, meaning dwellers on the 'River Legro' (an early name for the River Soar). In the early 10th century it was recorded as Ligeraceaster = "the town of the Ligor people". The Domesday Book later recorded it as Ledecestre. The river in Leicester The River Soar is a tributary of the River Trent in the English East Midlands. ... A line drawing entitled Domesday Book from Andrew Williamss Historic Byways and Highways of Old England. ...

Medieval

Leicester had become a town of considerable importance by Medieval times. It was mentioned in the Domesday Book as 'civitas' (city), but Leicester lost its city status in the 11th century owing to power struggles between the Church and the aristocracy. It was eventually re-made a city in 1919, and the Church of St Martin became Leicester Cathedral in 1927. The tomb of King Richard III is located in the central nave of the church although he is not actually buried there. He was originally buried in the Greyfriars Church in Leicester, but there is a legend that his corpse was exhumed under orders from Henry VII and cast into the River Soar, although there is no evidence for this and some historians believe that his tomb and bones were destroyed with the dissolution of the church. The Middle Ages formed the middle period in a traditional schematic division of European history into three ages: the classical civilization of Antiquity, the Middle Ages, and modern times. ... A line drawing entitled Domesday Book from Andrew Williamss Historic Byways and Highways of Old England. ... Historically, city status was associated with the presence of a cathedral, such as York Minster. ... Leicester Cathedral, or St Martins Church is an Anglican cathedral in the English city of Leicester, and the seat of the Bishop of Leicester. ... Richard III (2 October 1452 – 22 August 1485) was King of England from 1483 until his death. ... Greyfriars Kirk, today Greyfriars Tolbooth & Highland Kirk, is a parish church of the Church of Scotland in central Edinburgh. ... Henry VII (January 28, 1457 – April 21, 1509), King of England, Lord of Ireland (August 22, 1485 – April 21, 1509), born Henry Tudor was the first monarch of the Tudor dynasty. ... The river in Leicester The River Soar is a tributary of the River Trent in the English East Midlands. ...

Leicester played a significant role in the history of England, when, in 1265, Simon de Montfort forced King Henry III to hold the first Parliament of England at the now-ruined Leicester Castle. This was not the only time parliament was held in Leicester, see Parliament of Bats. From the Chamber of the United States House of Representatives Simon V de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester (1208 – August 4, 1265) was the principal leader of the baronial opposition to King Henry III of England. ... Henry III (1 October 1207 – 16 November 1272) was the son and successor of John Lackland as King of England, reigning for fifty-six years from 1216 to his death. ... The English parliament in front of the King, c. ... Leicester Castle is located in Leicester, England. ... The Parliament of Bats was a Parliament of England that was held in 1426 in Leicester. ...

Tudor

Leicester Abbey ruins, now part of Abbey Park.

On 4 November 1530, Cardinal Thomas Wolsey was arrested on charges of treason and taken from York Place. On his way south to face dubious justice at the Tower of London, he fell ill. The group escorting him was concerned enough to stop at Leicester. There, Wolsey's condition quickly worsened and he died on 29 November 1530 and was buried at Leicester Abbey, now Abbey Park. Image File history File links Abbeyruins. ... Image File history File links Abbeyruins. ... is the 308th day of the year (309th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... June 25 - Augsburg confession presented to Charles V of Holy Roman Empire. ... Cardinal Thomas Wolsey (c. ... The Palace of Whitehall was the main residence of the English monarchs in London from 1530 until 1698 when all except Inigo Jones 1622 Banqueting House was destroyed by fire. ... For other uses, see Tower of London (disambiguation) Her Majestys Royal Palace and Fortress The Tower of London, more commonly known as the Tower of London (and historically simply as The Tower), is an historic monument in central London, England on the north bank of the River Thames. ... is the 333rd day of the year (334th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... June 25 - Augsburg confession presented to Charles V of Holy Roman Empire. ... Leicester Abbey, the Abbey of Saint Mary de Pratis (St Mary of the Meadows), standing about a mile (2 km) north of the city of Leicester in the riverside meadows of the navigable Soar, was built under the patronage of Robert le Bossu, Earl of Leicester. ... Abbey Park is a public park in Leicester, England, through which the River Soar flows. ...

18th and 19th centuries

With the construction of the Grand Union Canal in the 1790s linking Leicester to London and Birmingham, Leicester began rapid industrialisation. The main industries being hosiery, footwear and, especially in the 20th century, engineering. All are, however, in decline now. The canal at Braunston The Grand Union Canal is a canal in England and part of the British canal system. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... This article is about the British city. ... A factory in Ilmenau (Germany) around 1860 Industrialisation (also spelt Industrialization) or an Industrial Revolution is a process of social and economic change whereby a human group is transformed from a pre-industrial society (an economy where the amount of capital accumulated per capita is low) to an industrial one... Hosiery describes undergarments worn directly on the feet and legs. ... High-heeled shoe Footwear consists of garments worn on the feet. ... Engineering is the discipline of acquiring and applying knowledge of design, analysis, and/or construction of works for practical purposes. ...

By 1832, railways had arrived in Leicester with the opening of the Leicester and Swannington Railway, which provided a supply of coal to the town from nearby collieries. By 1840 the Midland Counties Railway had linked Leicester to the national railway network, which further boosted industrial growth. By the 1860s, Leicester had gained a direct rail link to London (St Pancras) with the completion of the Midland Main Line. The Great Central Railway arrived in 1900, providing an alternative route to London. However, this closed in 1966. The Leicester and Swannington Railway (L&S) was one of Englands first railways, being opened in July 1832 to bring coal from pits in west Leicestershire to Leicester. ... Coal Coal (IPA: ) is a fossil fuel formed in swamp ecosystems where plant remains were saved by water and mud from oxidization and biodegradation. ... The Sun Inn, Eastwood, Nottinghamshire, birthplace of the Midland Counties Railway, 1832 The Midland Counties Railway (MCR) was a railway company in the United Kingdom which existed between 1832 and 1844, connecting Nottingham, Leicester and Derby with Rugby and thence, via the London and Birmingham Railway, to London. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... The Gothic Revival facade and clock tower of the disused Midland Hotel are the most visible part of St Pancras station. ... The Midland Main Line is a main railway line in the United Kingdom, part of the British railway system. ... The Great Central Railway (GCR) was a railway company in England which came into being when the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway changed its name in 1897 on the completion of its London Extension. ...

The borough expanded throughout the 19th century, most notably in 1892 annexing Belgrave, Aylestone, Knighton and North Evington. The city obtained its current boundaries in 1935, with the annexation of the remainder of Evington, Humberstone, Beaumont Leys, along with part of Braunstone. It became a county borough when these were established in 1889, but, as with all county boroughs, was abolished by the Local Government Act 1972 in 1974, becoming an ordinary district of Leicestershire. It regained its unitary status in 1997. Belgrave is an area in northern Leicester, England. ... Aylestone is a small town in Leicestershire, England. ... Knighton is an area of Leicester, situated roughly between Clarendon Park to the north, Stoneygate and South Knighton to the east, Wigston to the south and Aylestone Park to the west. ... North Evington is an area of the city of Leicester, England which is an inclusion of Highfields. ... Evington is a suburb and village in eastern Leicester, England. ... Humberstone is an urban village in Leicester, England. ... Beaumont Leys is a large suburb of Leicester, England. ... Braunstone is a suburb of the City of Leicester, England, to the south-west of the City Centre. ... County borough was a term introduced in 1889 in the United Kingdom to refer to a borough or a city independent of county administration. ... The Local Government Act 1972 (1972 c. ... Non-metropolitan districts or commonly Shire districts are a type of local government district in England. ...

Post World War II

In the decades since World War II, Leicester has experienced large scale immigration from across the world. Immigrant groups today make up around 40% of Leicester's population, making Leicester one of the most ethnically diverse cities in the United Kingdom. Many Polish servicemen were prevented from returning to their homeland after the war by the communist regime, and they established a small community in Leicester. Economic migrants from Ireland continued to arrive throughout the post war period. Immigrants from the Indian sub-continent began to arrive in the 1960s, their numbers boosted by Indians arriving from Kenya and Uganda in the early 1970s. In the 1990s a group of Dutch citizens of Somali origin, settled in the city, apparently drawn by its free and easy atmosphere and by the number of mosques. Since the 2004 enlargement of the European Union a significant number of eastern European migrants have settled in the city. While some wards in the north-east of the city are more than 70% Asian, wards in the west and south are all over 70% white. The Commission for Racial Equality (CRE) had estimated that by 2011 Leicester would have approximately a 50% ethnic minority population, making it the first city in Britain not to have a white British majority^[2]. This prediction was based on the growth of the ethnic minority populations between 1991 (Census 1991 28% ethnic minority) and 2001 (Census 2001 - 36% ethnic minority). However Professor Ludi Simpson at the University of Manchester School of Social Sciences said in September 2007 that the CRE had "made unsubstantiated claims and ignored government statistics" and that Leicester would become a plural city by approximately 2019 ^{[3] [4]}. The Leicester Multicultural Advisory Group was a forum set up in 2001 by the editor of the Leicester Mercury to coordinate community relations, with members representing the council, police, schools, community and faith groups, and the media. Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... The European Union (EU) was created by six founding states in 1957 (following the earlier establishment by the same six states of the European Coal and Steel Community in 1952) and has grown to 27 member states. ... The Commission for Racial Equality is a non-governmental organisation in the United Kingdom which tackles racial discrimination and promotes racial equality. ... The Leicester Mercury is a British regional newspaper, owned by the Daily Mail Group, for the city of Leicester and the counties of Leicestershire and Rutland. ...

Coat of arms

The Corporation of Leicester's coat of arms was first granted to the city at the Heraldic Visitation of 1619, and is based on the arms of the first Earl of Leicester, Robert Beaumont. The field is a white cinquefoil on a red background, and this emblem is used by the City Council. A modern coat of arms is derived from the medi val practice of painting designs onto the shield and outer clothing of knights to enable them to be identified in battle, and later in tournaments. ... The Earl of Leicester was created in the 12th century as a title in the Peerage of England (title now extinct), and is currently a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom, created in 1837. ... Species About 500, including: White Cinquefoil Trailing Tormentil Silverweed Hoary Cinquefoil Tall Cinquefoil Canadian Cinquefoil Grey Cinquefoil Alpine Cinquefoil Common Tormentil Shrubby Cinquefoil Pink Barren Strawberry Norwegian Cinquefoil Marsh Cinquefoil Pennsylvania Cinquefoil Sulphur Cinquefoil Creeping Tormentil Rock Cinquefoil Oldfield Cinquefoil Barren Strawberry Spring Cinquefoil Potentilla is a genus of about...

After Leicester became a city again in 1919, the city council applied to add to the arms, permission for which was granted in 1929, when the supporting lions, from the Lancastrian Earls of Leicester, were added.

The motto "Semper Eadem" was the motto of Queen Elizabeth I, who granted a royal charter to the city. It means "always the same". The crest on top of the arms is a white or silver legless wyvern with red and white wounds showing, on a wreath of red and white. The supporting lions are wearing coronets in the form of collars, with the white cinquefoil hanging from them. For other uses, see Wyvern (disambiguation). ...

Economy

Engineering

Engineering is an important part of the economy of Leicester. Companies include Jones & Shipman (machine tools and control systems), Richards Engineering (foundry equipment), Transmon Engineering (materials handling equipment) and Trelleborg (suspension components for rail, marine, and industrial applications). Local commitment to nurturing the upcoming cadre of British engineers includes apprenticeship schemes with local companies, and academic-industrial connections with the engineering departments at Leicester University, De Montfort University, and Loughborough University. The University of Leicester is based in Leicester, England, with about 8,000 full-time students and over 10,000 distance-learning students, one of the larget distance learning populations of any UK university. ... De Montfort University (DMU) is a British university situated in Leicester, England. ... Loughborough University is located in the market town of Loughborough, Leicestershire in the East Midlands of England. ...

Food and drink

Everards the famous Leicestershire brewery.

Henry Walker was a successful pork butcher who moved from Mansfield to Leicester in the 1880's to take over an established business in the high street. The business prospered, moving to Cheapside in 1912, and later established a sausage factory in Cobden Street. After World War Two meat rationing saw Walker & Sons factory output drop dramatically. The company looked at alternatives to make better use of its premises and workforce and began to manufacture potato crisps. The first Walkers production line was in the empty upper storey of Walker's Oxford Street factory in Leicester. In the early days the potatoes were sliced up by hand and cooked in an ordinary fish and chip fryer. In 1971 the Walkers crisps business was sold to Standard Brands, an American firm, who sold on the company to Frito-Lay. Walkers crisps currently makes 10 million bags of crisps per day at two factories in Beaumont Leys, and is the UK's largest grocery brand.^[5]. Meanwhile the sausage and pie business was bought out by Samworth Brothers in 1986. Production outgrew the Cobden Street site and sausages and pork pies are now manufactured at a meat processing factory and bakery in Beaumont Leys, coincidentally situated near the separately owned crisp factories. Sold under the Walkers name and under UK retailers own brands such as Tesco's Finest, over three million hot and cold pies are made each week^[6]. Henry Walker's butcher shop at 4-6 Cheapside is still in business, selling Walkers sausages and pork pies, and is currently trading under the ownership of Scottish company Fife Fine Foods which bought up the Walkers butchers stores chain from Dewhursts in 2006. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Potato chip. ... This article is about the snack food manufacturer. ... External links Frito-Lay Frito-Lay Canada Frito-Lay company history Frito-Lay company timeline Categories: Food and drink stubs | PepsiCo subsidiaries | Food companies of the United States | Snack companies of the United States ... This article is about the snack food manufacturer. ... Beaumont Leys is a large suburb of Leicester, England. ... Beaumont Leys is a large suburb of Leicester, England. ...

Some 15 major Indian food manufacturers are based in Leicester including Mayur Foods, Cofresh Snack Foods Ltd, Farsan, Apni Roti, and Spice n Tice. The 'Mithai' Indian sweet market is catered for by award winning Indian restaurants - for instance the vegetable samosas approved by the Vegetarian Society sold at The Sharmilee on Belgrave Road. In May 2007 Leicester was voted 'Curry Capital of Britain 2007' by Menu Magazine after a campaign led by restaurateur Kaycee Patel of Ek Maya restaurant.

Leicester Market is the largest outdoor covered marketplace in Europe and among the products on sale are fruit and vegetables sold by enthusiastic market stallholders who shout out their prices, and fresh fish and meat in the Indoor Market. Leicester Market is a large market in Leicester, England, on Market Place just south of the clock tower. ...

Everards is the largest Leicester brewery. Everards is a British regional brewery founded in 1849 by William Everard and Thomas Hull in Leicester when they bought the Wilmot brewery. ...

Blackfriars bakery produces cakes and flapjacks.

A safe pubs and clubs scheme Leicester Best Bar None has accredited 50 venues in the city that meet public safety and crime prevention standards.

Leicester City Council publishes food safety reports about food establishments in Leicester under their SmileSafe scheme.

Clothing

Next has its headquarters in Leicestershire, which is also where its buisness routes lie.

Leicester and Leicestershire have had a traditional industry of knitwear, hosiery and footwear; in the latter it equalled Northamptonshire's idiosyncratic footwear history. The sheep on the county's coat of arms is recognition of this. The local manufacturing industry only survived through protection of the Multi Fibre Arrangement, which came to an end in 2004. However the creative side lives on as De Montfort University has, in the form of its Fashion and Contour Design course, a leading design department for female underwear. It also has the only UK University courses in Footwear Design, with the likes of Nike visiting the university to employ students. The head office for Next (clothing) is based in nearby Enderby. The headquarters of Freeman Hardy Willis - owned by the British Shoe Corporation (before 1996) used to be in Leicester, and those of Shoefayre (based in South Wigston and owned by the Co-op) and Stead and Simpson (based in Syston, Charnwood) are still in Leicestershire. Shoe Zone (originally known as Benson Shoe) is based on Humberstone Road in the city of Leicester, and took over the Oliver Group in 2000, which included Timpson's former retail division and was actually based just inside the City of Leicester on the Braunstone Frith industrial estate - next to the old plant of the British Shoe Corporation. Image File history File links Next. ... Image File history File links Next. ... For the record label, see Knitting Factory. ... Hosiery describes undergarments worn directly on the feet and legs. ... High-heeled shoe Footwear consists of garments worn on the feet. ... Species See text. ... The Multi Fibre Arrangement (MFA) governed the world trade in textiles and garments from 1974 through 2004, imposing quotas on the amount developing countries could export to developed countries. ... De Montfort University (DMU) is a British university situated in Leicester, England. ... Nike, Inc. ... Next on Oxford Street Next plc is a British clothes retailer, with its headquarters in Enderby, Leicester, England. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... Freeman, Hardy and Willis was a major chain of footwear retailers in the United Kingdom, now defunct. ... South Wigston is a suburb of Leicester in England. ... In the UK, the Co-Op refers to supermarkets, convenience stores, funeral directors, a small number of department stores and other businesses owned by a variety of independent Co-operative societies but largely marketed and operated in a co-ordinated way. ... Syston is a town and civil parish in the district of Charnwood in Leicestershire, England. ... There are very few or no other articles that link to this one. ... Leicester (pronounced ) is the largest city in the East Midlands of England. ...

Financial and business services

A houshold name still considered as a local bank in Leicestershire.

Financial and business service companies with operations in Leicestershire include Alliance & Leicester, Royal Bank of Scotland, State Bank of India, HSBC, and PriceWaterhouseCoopers. Companies that have their head office based in the area include Next (clothing), and British Gas Business. Image File history File links A&L.gif‎ This is a logo of an organization, item, or event, and is protected by copyright and/or trademark. ... Image File history File links A&L.gif‎ This is a logo of an organization, item, or event, and is protected by copyright and/or trademark. ... Alliance & Leicester plc (LSE: AL.) is an awful British bank, formerly a building society. ... The Royal Bank of Scotland Plc (Scottish Gaelic: [1]) is one of the retail banking subsidiaries of Royal Bank of Scotland Group plc, which together with NatWest, provides branch banking facilities in the United Kingdom. ... State Bank of India (SBI) (LSE: SBID) is the largest bank in India. ... For other uses, see HSBC (disambiguation). ... A PwC office building (Southwark Towers) in London, England. ... Next on Oxford Street Next plc is a British clothes retailer, with its headquarters in Enderby, Leicester, England. ...

Invest Leicestershire provides information to businesses looking to relocate to the city or county, or to established local companies wanting to develop. Leicestershire Chamber of Commerce is another good source for business advice.

Creative industries

Leicester Creative Business Depot was established to house creative and arts businesses, and puts on exhibitions. Businesses in Leicester include Haley Sharpe Design, Checkland Kindleysides, printers Taylor Bloxham Ltd in Beaumont Leys, sister company C & R Printing Services in Enderby and Channel 2020.

Healthcare

In the public sector, University Hospitals Leicester NHS Trust is one of the larger employers in the city, with over 12,000 employees working for the Trust in the city and county. Leicester City Primary Care Trust employs over 1,000 full and part time staff providing healthcare services in the city. Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust employs 3,000 staff providing mental health and learning disability services in the city and county. The Trust of the University Hospitals of Leicester was created in April 2000 with the merger of the Leicester General Hospital, Glenfield Hospital and Leicester Royal Infirmary. ...

In the private sector are Nuffield Hospital Leicester and Bupa Hospital Leicester.

Statistics

This is a chart of trend of regional gross value added of Leicester at current basic prices published (pp.240-253) by Office for National Statistics with figures in millions of British Pounds Sterling.

1. ^ Geoffrey of Monmouth, The History of the Kings of Britain, translated by Lewis Thorpe, p. 81 and 86, Harmondsworth, 1966
2. ^ http://www.cre.gov.uk/Default.aspx.LocID-0hgnew0cq.RefLocID-0hg00900c008.Lang-EN.htm
3. ^ http://www.staffnet.manchester.ac.uk/news/unilife/1007/research/#d.en.124216
4. ^ http://www.ccsr.ac.uk/research/mrpd/events/documents/BSPS07SimpsonFinneyMinorityWhiteCities.doc
5. ^ Walkers Crisps, Coming to the crunch - The Manufacturer, October 2006
6. ^ Our company - Samworth Brothers, October 2007
7. ^ Components may not sum to totals due to rounding
8. ^ includes hunting and forestry
9. ^ includes energy and construction
10. ^ includes financial intermediation services indirectly measured

Business awards

The Leicestershire Business Awards has categories including Investing in Leicestershire, Contribution to the Community, and Entrepreneur of the Year.

Recent Leicestershire winners of the Queen’s Award for Enterprise are listed on the Lord Lieutenant's website.

Politics

Leicester town hall.

On April 1, 1997, Leicester City Council became a unitary authority, local government up until then having been a two-tier system with the city and county councils being responsible for different aspects of local government services (a system which is still in place in the rest of Leicestershire). Leicestershire County Council retained its headquarters at County Hall in Glenfield, just outside the city boundary but within the urban area. The administrative offices of Leicester City Council are in the centre of the city at the New Walk Centre and other office buildings near Welford Place. Some services (particularly the police and the ambulance service) still cover the whole of the city and county, but for the most part the two councils are independent. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (900x600, 189 KB) Summary Leicester town hall and square, taken 4 March 2006 Andrew Norman Licensing I, the creator of this work, hereby release it into the public domain. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (900x600, 189 KB) Summary Leicester town hall and square, taken 4 March 2006 Andrew Norman Licensing I, the creator of this work, hereby release it into the public domain. ... is the 91st day of the year (92nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the band, see 1997 (band). ... Leicester City Council is a unitary authority responsible for local government in the city of Leicester, England. ... A unitary authority is a type of local authority, which has a single tier and is responsible for all local government functions within its area. ... Leicestershire County Council is the county council for the English non-metropolitan county of Leicestershire. ... Location within the British Isles A view of part of Glenfield from the 6th floor of the Leicestershire County Council County Hall, looking towards Bradgate Park. ...

After a long period of Labour administration (since 1979), the city council from May 2003 was run by a Liberal Democrat/Conservative coalition under Roger Blackmore, which collapsed in November 2004. The minority Labour group ran the city until May 2005, under Ross Willmott, when the Liberal Democrats and Conservatives formed a new coalition, again under the leadership of Roger Blackmore. The Liberal Democrats, often shortened to Lib Dems, are a liberal political party based in the United Kingdom. ... The Conservative Party (officially the Conservative and Unionist Party) is currently t