Leicester

Leicester
Cityand unitary authority
Clockwise, from top: City Centre& Clock Tower; Leicester Cathedral; Curve Theatre; the Jewry Wall; and National Space Centre
Coat of arms
Motto(s): Latin: Semper Eadem, lit.'Always the Same'
Shown within Leicestershire
Coordinates:52°38′10″N1°7′59″W / 52.63611°N 1.13306°W /52.63611; -1.13306[1]
OS grid reference	SK 5874 0433[1]
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Country	England
Region	East Midlands
Ceremonial county	Leicestershire
Founded	c.47 AD asRatae Corieltauvorum
City statusrestored	1919
Unitary authority	1997
Administrative HQ	City Hall
Civic suite	Leicester Town Hall
Areas of the city (2011 census BUASD)	List Abbey Aylestone Aylestone Park Beaumont Leys Birstall(Village) (part) Braunstone Town(Village) (part) City Centre Clarendon Park Dane Hills Evington Frog Island Glenfield(Village) (part) Glen Parva(Village) (part) Hamilton Humberstone Kirby Muxloe(Village) (part) Knighton(Village) (part) New Humberstone New Parks North Evington Oadby(Town) (part) Rowlatts Hill Rowley Fields South Wigston(Village) (part) Stoneygate Thurncourt Westcotes Wigston(Town) (part) Wolsey Island
Government [2]
• Type	Unitary authoritywithmayor and cabinet
• Body	Leicester City Council
•Control	Labour
•Elected mayor	Peter Soulsby(L)
•Lord Mayor	Susan Barton
• Chief Executive	Alison Greenhill
•House of Commons	3 MPs Shockat Adam(Ind) Liz Kendall(L) Shivani Raja(C)
Area [3]
• Total	28 sq mi (73 km2)
• Rank	225th
Population (2022) [4]
• Total	373,399
• Rank	21st
• Density	13,190/sq mi (5,091/km2)
Demonym	Leicestrian
Ethnicity(2021) [5]
•Ethnic groups	List 43.4%Asian 40.9%White 7.8%Black 3.8%Mixed 4.1%other
Religion(2021) [5]
•Religion	List 24.7%Christianity 23.5%Islam 23.0%no religion 17.9%Hinduism 4.5%Sikhism 0.3%Buddhism 0.1%Judaism 0.6%other 5.6% not stated
Time zone	UTC+0(GMT)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+1(BST)
Postcode area	LE
Dialling code	0116
ISO 3166 code	GB-LCE
GSS code	E06000016
ITL code	TLF21
GVA	2021 estimate[6]
• Total	£9.2 billion
• Per capita	£25,124
GDP (nominal)	2021 estimate[6]
• Total	£10.2 billion
• Per capita	£27,848
Website	leicester.gov.uk

Leicester(/ˈlɛstər/^ⓘLES-tər)^[7]is acity,unitary authorityarea,unparished areaand thecounty townofLeicestershirein theEast Midlandsof England. It is the largest city in the East Midlands with a population of 373,399 in 2022.^[4]The greaterLeicester urban areahad a population of 559,017 in 2021, making it the 11th most populous in England,^[8]and the13th most populous in the United Kingdom. A 2023 report ranked Leicester 16th out of the 50 largest UK cities on a range of economic measures, and the first of seven East Midlands cities.^[9][10]

The city lies on theRiver Soarand is approximately 90 miles (140 km) north-northwest of London, 33 miles (53 km) east-northeast ofBirminghamand 21 miles (34 km) northeast ofCoventry.NottinghamandDerbylie around 21 miles (34 km) to the north and northwest respectively, whilstPeterboroughis located 37 miles (60 km) to the east. Leicester is close to the eastern end of theNational Forest.^[11]

Leicester has a long history extending into ancient times, it was the site of theRomantown ofRatae Corieltauvorum, which was later captured by theAnglo-Saxons, and then by theVikingswho made it one of theFive Boroughs of the Danelaw. Leicester became an important town during theMiddle Ages, and then an important industrial and commercial centre in theVictorian age, eventually gainingcity statusin 1919. Since the mid-20th century, immigration from countries of theBritish Commonwealthhas seen Leicester become an ethnically diverse city, and one of the largest urban centres of theMidlands.

Leicester is at the intersection of two railway lines: theMidland Main Lineand theBirminghamtoLondon Stansted Airportline. It is also at the confluence of theM1/M69 motorwaysand theA6/A46trunk routes.Leicester Cathedralis home to thetombofKing Richard IIIwho was reburied in the cathedral in 2015 afterbeing discoverednearby in the foundations of the lostGreyfriarschapel, more than 500 years after his death. In sporting terms, Leicester is the home tofootballclubLeicester CityandrugbyclubLeicester Tigers.

The name of Leicester comes fromOld English. It is first recorded in Latinised form in the early ninth century asLegorensis civitatisand in Old English itself in anAnglo-Saxon Chronicleentry for 924 asLigera ceastre(and, in various spellings, frequently thereafter). In theDomesday Bookof 1086, it is recorded asLedecestre.^[12]

The first element of the name is the name of a people, theLigore(whose name appears inLigera ceastrein thegenitiveplural form); their name came in turn from the river Ligor (now theRiver Soar), the origin of whose name is uncertain but thought to be fromBrittonic(possibly cognate with the name of theLoire).^{[12][13][14][15]}

The second element of the name is the Old English wordceaster("(Roman) fort, fortification, town", itself borrowed from Latincastrum).^[12]

A list of British cities in the ninth-centuryHistory of the Britonsincludes oneCair Lerion; Leicester has been proposed as the place to which this refers (and theWelshname for Leicester isCaerlŷr). But this identification is not certain.^[16]

Based on the Welsh name (given asKaerleir),Geoffrey of Monmouthproposed a kingLeir of Britainas aneponymous founderin hisHistoria Regum Britanniae(12th century).^[17][a]

Leicester is one of the oldest cities in England, with a history going back at least two millennia.^[18]ThenativeIron Agesettlement encountered by theRomansat the site seems to have developed in the 2nd or 1st centuriesBC.^[19]Little is known about this settlement or the condition of theRiver Soarat this time, althoughroundhousesfrom this era have been excavated and seem to have clustered along roughly 8 hectares (20 acres) of the east bank of the Soar above its confluence with theTrent. This area of the Soar was split into two channels: a main stream to the east and a narrower channel on the west, with a presumably marshy island between. The settlement seems to have controlled a ford across the larger channel. Thelater Roman namewas alatinateform of theBrittonicword for "ramparts" (cf.Gaelicrathand the nearby villages ofRatbyandRatcliffe^[20]), suggesting the site was anoppidum. The plural form of the name suggests it was initially composed of several villages.^[20]TheCeltic tribeholding the area was later recorded as the "Coritanians" but an inscription recovered in 1983 showed this to have been a corruption of the original "Corieltauvians".^[21][22]The Corieltauvians are believed to have ruled over roughly the area of theEast Midlands.

It is believed that theRomansarrived in the Leicester area aroundAD47, during theirconquestofsouthern Britain.^[23]The Corieltauvian settlement lay near a bridge on theFosse Way, aRoman roadbetween the legionary camps atIsca(Exeter) andLindum(Lincoln). It remains unclear whether the Romans fortified and garrisoned the location, but it slowly developed from around the year 50 onwards as thetribal capitalof the Corieltauvians under the nameRatae Corieltauvorum. In the 2nd century, it received aforumandbathhouse. In 2013, the discovery of a Roman cemetery found just outside the old city walls and dating back to AD 300 was announced.^[23]The remains of thebathsof Roman Leicester can be seen at theJewry Wall; recovered artifacts are displayed at theadjacent museum.

Knowledge of the town following theRoman withdrawal from Britainis limited. It seems to have been continually occupied after Roman protection ceased through the 5th and 6th centuries, although with a significantly reduced population. Its memory was preserved as theCair Lerion^[24]of theHistory of the Britons.^[25]Following theSaxon invasion of Britain, Leicester was occupied by theMiddle Anglesand subsequently administered by the kingdom ofMercia. It was elevated to abishopricin either 679 or 680; this see survived until the 9th century, when Leicester was captured byDanishVikings. Their settlement became one of theFive Burghsof theDanelaw, although this position was short-lived. The Saxon bishop, meanwhile, fled toDorchester-on-Thamesand Leicester did not become a bishopric again until the Church ofSt MartinbecameLeicester Cathedralin 1927. The settlement was recorded under the nameLigeraceasterin the early 10th century.^[26]

Following theNorman conquest, Leicester was recorded byWilliam'sDomesday BookasLedecestre. It was noted as a city (civitas) but lost this status in the 11th century owing to power struggles between theChurchand thearistocracy^{[citation needed]}and did not become a legal city again until 1919.

Geoffrey of Monmouthcomposed hisHistory of the Kings of Britainaround the year 1136, naming aKing Leiras aneponymous founderfigure.^[27]According to Geoffrey's narrative,Cordeliahad buried her father beneath the river in a chamber dedicated toJanusand his feast day was an annual celebration.^[28]

WhenSimon de MontfortbecameEarl of Leicesterin 1231, he gave the city a grant to expel the Jewish population^[29]"in my time or in the time of any of my heirs to the end of the world". He justified his action as being "for the good of my soul, and for the souls of my ancestors and successors".^[30]Leicester's Jews were allowed to move to the eastern suburbs, which were controlled by de Montfort's great-aunt and rival, Margaret, Countess of Winchester, after she took advice from the scholar and clericRobert Grosseteste, at that timeArchdeacon of Leicester.^[31]There is evidence that Jews remained there until 1253, and perhaps enforcement of the banishment within the city was not rigorously enforced. De Montfort however issued a second edict for the expulsion of Leicester's Jews in 1253, after Grosseteste's death.^[32]De Montfort's many acts of anti-Jewish persecution in Leicester and elsewhere were part of awider patternthat led to theexpulsion of the Jewish populationfrom England in 1290.^[33]

During the 14th century, the earls of Leicester and Lancaster enhanced the prestige of the town.Henry, 3rd Earl of Lancasterand of Leicester founded a hospital for the poor and infirm in the area to the south of the castle now known as The Newarke (the "new work"). Henry's son, the greatHenry of Grosmont, 4th Earl of Lancaster and of Leicester, who was made first Duke of Lancaster, enlarged and enhanced his father's foundation, and built the collegiate Church of the Annunciation of Our Lady of The Newarke.^[34]This church (a little of which survives in the basement of the Hawthorn Building of De Montfort University) was destroyed during the reign of King Edward VI. It became an important pilgrimage site because it housed a thorn said to be from the Crown of Thorns, given to the Duke by the King of France. The church (described by Leland in the C16th as "not large but exceeding fair") also became, effectively, a Lancastrian mausoleum. Duke Henry's daughterBlanche of LancastermarriedJohn of Gauntand their son Henry Bolingbroke becameKing Henry IVwhen he deposed King Richard II. The Church of the Annunciation was the burial place of Duke Henry, who had earlier had his father re-interred here. Later it became the burial place ofConstance of Castile, Duchess of Lancaster(second wife of John of Gaunt) and ofMary de Bohun, first wife of Henry Bolingbroke (Henry IV) and mother of King Henry V (she did not become queen because she died before Bolingbroke became king). John of Gaunt died at Leicester Castle in 1399. When his son became king, the Earldom of Leicester and the Duchy of Lancaster became royal titles (and the latter remains so).

At the end of theWar of the Roses,KingRichard IIIwas buried in Leicester'sGreyfriars Churcha Franciscan Friary and Church which was demolished after its dissolution in 1538. The site of that church is now covered byKing Richard III Visitor Centre(until 2012 by more modern buildings and a car park). There was a legend his corpse had been cast into theriver, while some historians^[35]argued his tomb and remains were destroyed during thedissolution of the monasteriesunderHenry VIII. However, in September 2012, an archaeological investigation of the car park revealed a skeleton^[36]whichDNA testinghelped verify to be related to two descendants of Richard III's sister.^[37]It was concluded that the skeleton was that of Richard III because of the DNA evidence and the shape of the spine. In 2015 Richard III was reburied in pride of place near the high altar inLeicester Cathedral.

On 4 November 1530,Cardinal Thomas Wolseywas arrested on charges of treason and taken from Yorkshire. On his way south to face dubious justice at theTower of London, he fell ill. The group escorting him was concerned enough to stop at Leicester to rest at Leicester Abbey. There, Wolsey's condition quickly worsened. He died on 29 November 1530 and was buried atLeicester Abbey, nowAbbey Park.

Lady Jane Grey, who claimed the English throne for nine days in June 1553, was born atBradgate Parknear Leicester around 1536.^[38]

QueenElizabeth I's intimate and former suitor,Robert Dudley, was given theEarldom of Leicester.

After theUnion of the Crowns,Anne of Denmark,Prince Henry, andPrincess Elizabethtravelled to Leicester on 24 June 1603, after the courtier and usher Thomas Conway was assured that the town was free from infection or plague.^[39]Prince Charles, later King Charles I, travelled to London with his guardianAlexander Seton. The royal party stayed at Leicester for three days in August 1604 at the townhouse ofWilliam Skipwith.^[40]

The Corporation of Leicester opposed the efforts of Charles I to disafforest the nearbyLeicester Forest, believing them to be likely to throw many of its residents into poverty and need of relief.Sir Miles Fleetwoodwas sent to commission the disafforestation and division of lands being used in common.^[41]Riots destroyed enclosures in spring 1627 and 1628, following a pattern ofanti-enclosure disturbancesfound elsewhere including the Western Rising.^[42]

Petitions challenging the enclosures were presented by the Corporation of Leicester and borough residents to the King andPrivy Council. They were unsuccessful so petitioned theHouse of Lordsin June 1628 who however supported Fleetwood but asked for proceedings made by the Crown against the rioters to be dropped. Compensation made to the legal residents of the forest was reasonably generous by comparison with other forests. The Corporation of Leicester received 40 acres (16 ha) for relief of the poor.^[43]

Leicester was a Parliamentarian (colloquially calledRoundhead) stronghold during theEnglish Civil War. In 1645, KingCharles I of EnglandandPrince Rupertdecided to attack the (then) town to draw theNew Model Armyaway from the Royalist (colloquially calledCavaliers) headquarters ofOxford.Royalistguns were set up onRaw Dykesand, after an unsatisfactory response to a demand for surrender, the assault began at 3pm on 30 May 1645 by a Royalist battery opposite the Newarke. The town – which only had approximately 2,000 defenders opposed to the Royalist Army of approximately 10,000 combatants – was sacked on 31 May 1645, and hundreds of people were killed by Rupert's cavalry. One witness said, "they fired upon our men out of their windows, from the tops of houses, and threw tiles upon their heads. Finding one house better manned than ordinary, and many shots fired at us out of the windows, I caused my men to attack it, and resolved to make them an example for the rest; which they did. Breaking open the doors, they killed all they found there without distinction". It was reported that 120 houses had been destroyed and that 140 wagons of plunder were sent to the Royalist stronghold ofNewark.^[44]

Following the Parliamentarian victory over the Royalist Army at theBattle of Nasebyon 14 June 1645 Leicester was recovered by Parliament on 18 June 1645.

The construction of theGrand Union Canalin the 1790s linked Leicester to London andBirmingham. The first railway station in Leicester opened in 1832, in the form of theLeicester and Swannington Railwaywhich provided a supply of coal to the town from nearby collieries.^[45][46]TheMidland Counties Railway(running fromDerbytoRugby) linked the town to the national network by 1840. A direct link toLondon St Pancraswas established by theMidland Railwayin the 1860s. These developments encouraged and accompanied aprocess of industrialisationwhich intensified throughout the reign ofQueen Victoria. Factories began to appear, particularly along the canal and river, and districts such asFrog IslandandWoodgatewere the locations of numerous large mills. Between 1861 and 1901, Leicester's population increased from68,100to211,600^{[citation needed]}and the proportion employed in trade, commerce, building, and the city's new factories and workshops rose steadily.Hosiery, textiles, and footwear became the major industrial employers: manufacturers such asN. Corah & Sonsand the Cooperative Boot and Shoe Company were opening some of the largest manufacturing premises in Europe. They were joined, in the latter part of the century, by engineering firms such as Kent Street's Taylor and Hubbard (crane makers and founders^{[clarification needed]}), Vulcan Road'sWilliam Gimson & Company(steam boilers and founders), and Martin Street's Richards & Company (steel works and founders).

The politics of Victorian Leicester were lively and very often bitter. Years of consistent economic growth meant living standards generally increased, but Leicester was a stronghold ofRadicalism.Thomas Cooper, theChartist, kept a shop in Church Gate. There were serious Chartist riots in the town in 1842 and again six years later.^[47]TheLeicester Secular Societywas founded in 1851 butsecularistspeakers such asGeorge Holyoakewere often denied the use of speaking halls. It was not until 1881 thatLeicester Secular Hallwas opened. The second half of the 19th century also witnessed the creation of many other institutions, including the town council,the Royal Infirmary, and the Leicester Constabulary. It also benefited from general acceptance (and the Public Health Acts )^{[citation needed]}that municipal organisations had a responsibility to provide for the town's water supply, drainage, and sanitation. In 1853, backed with a guarantee of dividends by the Corporation of Leicester the Leicester Waterworks Company built a reservoir at Thornton for the supply of water to the town. This guarantee was made possible by the Public Health Act 1847 and an amending local Act of Parliament of 1851. In 1866 another amending Act enabled the Corporation of Leicester to take shares in the company to enable another reservoir at Cropston, completed in 1870. The Corporation of Leicester was later able to buy the waterworks and build another reservoir at Swithland, completed in the 1890s.^[48]

Leicester became acounty boroughin 1889, although it was abolished in 1974 as part of theLocal Government Act, and was reformed as a non-metropolitan district and city. The city regained its unitary status, being administered separately from Leicestershire, in 1997. The borough had been expanding throughout the 19th century, but grew most notably when it annexedBelgrave,Aylestone,North Evington,Knighton, andStoneygatein 1892.

In 1900, theGreat Central Railwayprovided another link to London, but the rapid population growth of the previous decades had already begun to slow by the time of Queen Victoria's death in 1901.World War Iand the subsequent epidemics had further impacts. Nonetheless, Leicester was finally recognised as a legal city once more in 1919 in recognition of its contribution to the British war effort. Recruitment to the armed forces was lower in Leicester than in other English cities, partly because of the low level of unemployment and the need for many of its industries, such as clothing and footwear manufacturing, to supply the army. As the war progressed, many of Leicester's factories were given over to arms production; Leicester produced the first batch of Howitzer shells by a British company which was not making ammunition before the war. After the war, the city received a royal visit; the king and queen received a march-past inVictoria Parkof thousands of serving and demobilised soldiers. Following the end of the war, a memorial arch—theArch of Remembrance—was built in Victoria Park and unveiled in 1925. The arch, one of the largest First World War memorials in the UK, was designed bySir Edwin Lutyens, who also designedthe Cenotaphin London and is a grade Ilisted building. A set of gates and lodges, again by Lutyens, were added in the 1930s, leading to the memorial from the University Road and London Road entrances to Victoria Park.^[49][50][51]

In 1927, Leicester again became a cathedral city on the consecration ofSt Martin'sChurch as the cathedral. A second major extension to the boundaries following the changes in 1892 took place in 1935, with the annexation of the remainder ofEvington,Humberstone,Beaumont Leys, and part ofBraunstone. A third major revision of the boundaries took place in 1966, with the net addition to the city of just over 450 acres (182 ha). The boundary has remained unchanged since that time.

Leicester's diversified economic base and lack of dependence on primary industries meant it was much better placed than many other cities to weather the tariff wars of the 1920s andGreat Depressionof the 1930s. The Bureau of Statistics of the newly formedLeague of Nationsidentified Leicester in 1936 as the second-richest city in Europe^[52]and it became an attractive destination for refugees fleeing persecution and political turmoil incontinental Europe. Firms such as Corah and Liberty Shoes used their reputation for producing high-quality products to expand their businesses. These years witnessed the growth in the city oftrade unionismand particularly theco-operative movement. The Co-op became an important employer and landowner; when Leicester played host to theJarrow Marchon its way to London in 1936, the Co-op provided the marchers with a change of boots. In 1938, Leicester was selected as the base for Squadron 1F, the first A.D.C.C (Air Defence Cadet Corp), the predecessor of theAir Training Corps.

Leicester was bombed on 19 November 1940. Although only three bombs hit the city, 108 people were killed in Highfields.^[53]

The years afterWorld War II, particularly from the 1960s onwards, brought many social and economic challenges.

Mass housebuilding continued across Leicester for some 30 years after 1945. Existing housing estates such as Braunstone were expanded, while several completely new estates – of both private and council tenure – were built.^{[citation needed]}The last major development of this era was Beaumont Leys in the north of the city, which was developed in the 1970s as a mix of private and council housing.^{[citation needed]}

There was a steady decline in Leicester's traditional manufacturing industries and, in the city centre, working factories and light industrial premises have now been almost entirely replaced. Many former factories, including some onFrog Islandand atDonisthorpe Mill, have been badly damaged by fire. Rail and barge were finally eclipsed by automotive transport in the 1960s and 1970s: the Great Central and the Leicester and Swannington both closed and the northward extension of theM1 motorwaylinked Leicester into England's growing motorway network. With the loss of much of the city's industry during the 1970s and 1980s, some of the old industrial jobs were replaced by new jobs in the service sector, particularly in retail. The opening of the Haymarket Shopping Centre in 1971 was followed by a number of new shopping centres in the city, including St Martin's Shopping Centre in 1984 and the Shire Shopping Centre in 1992.^[54]The Shires was subsequently expanded in September 2008 and rebranded as Highcross.^[55]By the 1990s, as well, Leicester's central position and good transport links had established it as a distribution centre; the southwestern area of the city has also attracted new service and manufacturing businesses.

Since World War II Leicester has experienced large scale immigration from across the world. Many Polish servicemen were prevented from returning to their homeland after the war by the communist regime,^[56]and they established a small community in Leicester. Economic migrants from theIrish Republiccontinued to arrive throughout the post war period. Immigrants from theIndian sub-continentbegan to arrive in the 1960s, their numbers boosted byAsiansarriving from Kenya and Uganda in the early 1970s.^[57][58]

In 1972,Idi Aminannounced that the entireAsian community in Ugandahad 90 days to leave the country.^[59]Shortly thereafter, Leicester City Council launched a campaign aimed at dissuading Ugandan Asians from migrating to the city.^[60]The adverts did not have their intended effect,instead making more migrants awareof the possibility of settling in Leicester.^[61]Nearly a quarter of initial Ugandan refugees (around 5000 to 6000) settled in Leicester, and by the end of the 1970s around another quarter of the initially dispersed refugees had made their way to Leicester.^[62]Officially, the adverts were taken out for fear that immigrants to Leicester would place pressure on city services and at least one person who was a city councillor at the time says he believes they were placed for racist reasons.^[63]The initial advertisement was widely condemned, and taken as a marker of anti-Asian sentiment throughout Britain as a whole, although the attitudes that resulted in the initial advertisement were changed significantly in subsequent decades,^[64]not least because the immigrants included the owners of many of "Uganda's most successful businesses."^[65]

Forty years later, Leicester's mayor SirPeter Soulsbyexpressed his regret for the behaviour of the council at the time.^[63]

In the 1990s, a group of Dutch citizens ofSomaliorigin settled in the city. Since the 2004enlargement of the European Uniona significant number ofEast Europeanmigrants have settled in the city. While some wards in the northeast of the city are more than 70% South Asian, wards in the west and south are all over 70% white. TheCommission 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 awhite Britishmajority.^[66]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 theUniversity of ManchesterSchool of Social Sciences said in September 2007 that the CRE had "made unsubstantiated claims and ignored government statistics" and that Leicester's immigrant and minority communities disperse to other places.^[67][68][66]

The Leicester Multicultural Advisory Group^[69]is a forum, set up in 2001 by the editor of theLeicester Mercury, to co-ordinate community relations with members representing the council, police, schools, community and faith groups, and the media.

TheCOVID-19 pandemichas brought many social and economic challenges across the country and across the world. Leicester has been particularly badly affected in the United Kingdom; from July 2020 during the imposition of the first local lockdown which saw all non-essential retail closed again and businesses such as public houses, restaurants and hairdressers unable to reopen. Businesses such as these in areas such as Glenfield and that part of Braunstone Town which outside of the formal city council area, have since been allowed to reopen following a more tightly defined lockdown area from 18 July 2020.^[70][71]

TheOffice for National Statisticshas defined aLeicester Urban Area(LUA); broadly the immediate Leicesterconurbation, although without administrative status. The LUA contains the unitary authority area and several towns, villages and suburbs outside the city's administrative boundaries.

Suburbs and districts of Leicester (ancient villages now incorporated into the city are shown in bold)

Leicester experiences amaritime climatewith mild to warm summers and cool winters, rain spread throughout the year, and low sunshine levels. The nearest official Weather Station was Newtown Linford, about 5 miles (8.0 km) northwest of Leicester city centre and just outside the edge of the urban area. However, observations stopped there in 2003.^{[citation needed]}The current nearest weather station is Market Bosworth, about 10 miles (16 km) west of the city centre.^{[citation needed]}

The highest temperature recorded at Newtown Linford was 34.5 °C (94.1 °F) during August 1990,^[72]although a temperature of 35.1 °C (95.2 °F) was achieved at Leicester University during August 2003.^[73]However, the highest temperature since records began in Leicester is 36.7 °C (98.1 °F) on 15 July 1868.^[74]More typically the highest temperature would reach 28.7 °C (83.7 °F) – the average annual maximum.^[75]11.3 days of the year should attain a temperature of 25.1 °C (77.2 °F) or above.^[76]

The lowest temperature recorded at Newtown Linford was −16.1 °C (3.0 °F) during January 1963.^[77]Typically, 54.9 air frosts will be recorded during the course of the year.

Rainfall averages 684.4 mm per year,^[78]with 1 mm or more falling on 120.8 days.^[79]All averages refer to the period 1971–2000.

On 5 May 2011, thedirectly electedMayor of Leicesterrole came into effect after the inaugural election. This post exists in addition to that ofLord Mayorwhich goes back to the Middle Ages and is these days a ceremonial role.

The first mayor of Leicester was aNormanknight, Peter fitz Roger ("Peter, son of Roger") in 1251.^[81][82]Following the restoration of city status in 1919 this title was elevated to "Lord Mayor." In 1987 the first Asian Mayor of Leicester was indirectly elected by the councillors, Councillor Gordhan Parmar.^[83]After institution of a directly elected mayor in 2011 the Lord Mayor of Leicester still exists as a ceremonial role underLeicester City Council.^[84]

On 1 April 1997,Leicester City Councilbecame aunitary authority. Previously, local government had been a two-tier system: the city and county councils were responsible for different aspects of local-government services. That system is still in place in the rest of Leicestershire.Leicestershire County Councilretained its headquarters atCounty HallinGlenfield, just outside the city boundary but within the urban area. The administrative offices of Leicester City Council are in the centre of the city atCity Hallin Charles Street, having moved from Welford Place. The 1970s council offices at Welford Place were declared unsafe in 2010 and demolished on 22 February 2015.^[85]In 2018 a newly built New Walk Centre was completed as a privately funded mix of offices, shops and flats, alongside tree-lined open spaces.^[86]Some services (particularly the police and the ambulance service) still cover the whole of the city and county, but for the most part the councils are independent.

Leicester is divided into 21 electoral wards:Abbey,Aylestone,Beaumont Leys,Belgrave,Braunstone Park& Rowley Fields, Castle,Evington,Eyres Monsell, Fosse,Humberstone & Hamilton,Knighton,North Evington,Rushey Mead, Saffron,Spinney Hills,Stoneygate,Thurncourt, Troon, Westcotes, Western, and Wycliffe.^[87]

The current directly elected mayor is Sir Peter Soulsby of the Labour Party.^[88][89]

After a long period of Labour administration (since 1979), the city council from May 2003 was run by aLiberal Democrat/Conservativecoalition underRoger 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.

In the local government elections of 3 May 2007, Leicester's Labour Party once again took control of the council in what can be described as alandslide victory. Gaining 18 new councillors, Labour polled on the day 38 councillors, creating a governing majority of +20. Significantly however, the Green Party gained its first councillors in the Castle Ward, after losing on the drawing of lots in 2003, though one of these subsequently resigned and the seat was lost to Labour in a by-election on 10 September 2009.^[90]The Conservative Party saw a decrease in their representation. The Liberal Democrat Party was the major loser, dropping from 25 councillors in 2003 to only 6 in 2007. This was in part due to the local party splitting, with a number of councillors standing for theLiberal Party.

In the local government elections of 5 May 2011 and those of May 2015, Labour won 52 of the city's 54 seats, with the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats winning one seat each.^[91]In the 2019 local elections, the Labour Party gained the sole Conservative held ward of Knighton leavingNigel Porterof the Liberal Democrats as the only opposition member on the city council.

The current composition of Leicester City Council is as follows:

Party		Seats[92]
	Labour	31
	Conservative	14
	Liberal Democrats	3
	Green	3
	Independent	3

There have been four changes in party affiliation since the last full council election in May 2023. Councillor Diane Cank left the Labour group in August 2023. Councillor Sanjay Modhwadia, the Conservative Party candidate in the2024 Leicester mayoral election, was suspended from the Conservative Party following an argument with group leader Deepak Bajaj in a public car park over who should be the next group leader.^[93]Conservative group leader Deepak Bajaj subsequently defected to the Labour Party on 8 April, lambasting a culture of violence, racism, religious divides, threats and bullying within the Conservative Party in Leicester.^[94][95][96]The conservative group was further reduced in June 2024 when councillor Nagarjun "Nags" Agath quit the party to stand as an independent candidate inLeicester Eastin the2024 United Kingdom general election. Agath cited displeasure in the choice of the Conservative candidate, Shivani Raja, as his reason to stand, branding her as an "inexperienced candidate" that had been "dumped" on the city.^[97][98]

In the2024 general election, Leicester is divided into three Parliamentary constituencies:Leicester East, represented byConservative PartyMPShivani Raja,Leicester South, represented by independent MPShockat Adam, andLeicester Westrepresented by Work and Pensions SecretaryLiz Kendallof theLabour Party.

The Corporation of Leicester'scoat of armswas first granted to the city at the Heraldic Visitation of 1619, and is based on the arms of the firstEarl of Leicester, Robert Beaumont. The charge is acinquefoilermine, on a red field, and this emblem is used by the city council.

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

The motto"Semper Eadem"was the motto ofQueen Elizabeth I, who granted a royal charter to the city. It means "always the same" but with positive overtones meaning unchanging, reliable or dependable, and united. The crest on top of the arms is a white or silver leglesswyvernwith red and white wounds showing, on a wreath of red and white. The legless wyvern distinguishes it as a Leicester wyvern as opposed to other wyverns. The supporting lions are wearing coronets in the form of collars, with the white cinquefoil hanging from them.

This section needs to be updated. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information. (December 2023)

In the 2011 census, the population of the Leicester unitary authority area was 329,839, an increase of 11.8% compared to theUnited Kingdom Census 2001figure of 279,921. The widerLeicester Urban Area,^[100]showed an estimated population of 509,000. The population of the Leicester unitary authority area is marginally higher than that of Nottingham, while Nottingham has a higher urban area population compared to Leicester.Eurostat'sLarger Urban Zonelists the population of the Leicester LUZ at 886,673 (2017) below that of Nottingham;^[101]metropolitan and city region populations tend to be similar. According to the 2011 census Leicester had the largest proportion of people aged 19-and-under in the East Midlands at 27 per cent. Coventry, to the south west, has a population of 352,900 (2016 est.) compared to Leicester's 348,300 at the same date. Nonetheless, Coventry has an area one third greater than Leicester's, approximately equivalent to a combined 'Leicester +Oadby and Wigston' with a respective population of 404,100 (2016 est.).

The Eurostat regional yearbook 2015 classifies Leicester as one of country's eleven 'Greater Cities', together with Birmingham and Nottingham in the Midlands. Leicester is second only to Bristol as the largestunitary authoritycity in England (List of English districts by population2015 estimates), and ninth largest counting both unitary authority cities and cities within metropolitan counties.

In terms ofethnic composition, according to the2011 census, 50.6% of the population wasWhite(45.1%White British, 0.8%White Irish, 0.1%GypsyorIrish Traveller, 4.6%Other White), 37.1%Asian(28.3%Indian, 2.4%Pakistani, 1.1%Bangladeshi, 1.3%Chinese, 4.0% Other Asian), 3.5% ofmixed race(1.4% White and Black Caribbean, 0.4% White and Black African, 1.0% White and Asian, 0.7% Other Mixed), 6.3%Black(3.8% African, 1.5%Caribbean, 1.0%Other Black), 1.0%Araband 1.6% of other ethnic heritage.^[102]

As of 2015^[update], Leicester is the second fastest growing city in the country.^[103]

A demographic profile of Leicester published by the city council in 2008 noted:

Alongside English, around 70 languages and/or dialects spoken in the city. In addition to English and the primary western and central European languages, eight ethnic languages are sometimes heard:Gujaratiis the preferred language of 16% of the city's residents,Punjabi3%,Somali4% andUrdu2%. Other smaller language groups includeHindi,Bengali. With continuing migration into the city, new languages and or dialects from Africa, the Middle East and Eastern Europe are also being spoken in the city. In certain primary schools in Leicester, English may not be the preferred language of 45% of pupils and the proportion of children whose first language is known, or believed to be, other than English, is significantly higher than other cities in the Midlands or the UK as a whole.^[104]

Certain European languages such as Polish will undoubtedly feature in current statistics, although their prevalence may reduce subsequently as future generations rapidly assimilate or return to places of origin, given cultural and geographic proximity and changes in the geo-political environment.

Historic and projectedPopulation growthin Leicester since 1901
Year	1901	1911	1921	1931	1939	1951	1961	1971	2001	2011		2016		2021	2026	2031
Population	211,579	227,222	234,143	239,169	261,339	285,181	273,470	284,208	279,921	329,839		348,343		362,500	376,000	390,000
Source: A Vision of Britain through Time[105]												ONS[106]		ONS Projections[107]

As one of the fastest-growing cities in the country, theONS2014 basis population projections indicate the city will be home to 400,000 inhabitants by around 2035.

Leicester has the second largest economy in the East Midlands, afterNottingham.^[108]

Companies that have their principal offices or significant sites in Leicester and the surrounding area include;Brantano Footwear,Dunelm Mill,Next,Shoe Zone,Everardsbrewing and associated businesses,KPMG,Mazars,Cambridge & Counties Bank,HSBCandSantanderbanking,Hastings Insurance,British Gas,British Telecom,Caterpillar(Inc.),Topps TilesandDHL.^[109]

The city has historically had a strong association with the production of textiles, clothing and shoes. While important companies such asCorah,Liberty Shoesand Equity Shoes have closed, companies such as Next andBodenare still active andASOSandNew Lookmanufacture in the city. Moreover, in recent years the higher transport prices and longer lead-times associated withglobalisedproduction in Asia mean some textile manufacturers are locating to the city.^[110][111]

There have long been concerns about the working conditions in this sector. Leicester's garment district is home to more than 1,000 factories employing as many as 10,000 workers. It has received fewer than 60health and safety inspectionsand only 28fire inspectionssince October 2017.HMRChas made just 36 visits checking on compliance withminimum wage legislation; it has issued penalties to fewer than 10 textile firms and claimed just over £100,000 in arrears relating to 143 workers.^[112]Research at the University of Leicester in 2010 and published in 2015 found there were 11,700 employees where 75-90% were being paid £3 per hour, which was less than half of the then legal minimum wage.^[113]In 2017Peter Soulsby, Mayor of Leicester called together 40 regulatory organisations to coordinate a response. He aimed to make sure that Leicester had the highest standards of employment; that workers are properly paid, well trained and work in safe environments,^[114]In 2020 the HSE was alerted toCOVID-19non-compliance.^[115]

Engineering companies include Jones & Shipman (machine tools and control systems), Richards Engineering (foundry equipment), Transmon Engineering (materials handling equipment) andTrelleborg(suspension components for rail, marine, and industrial applications). Local commitment to nurturing British engineers includes apprenticeship schemes with local companies, and academic-industrial connections with the engineering departments atLeicester University,De Montfort University, and nearbyLoughborough University. Leicester was also home to the famousGents' of Leicesterclock manufacturers.

The city centre has two large shopping malls –Highcross Leicesterand theHaymarket Shopping Centre. The Haymarket Shopping Centre opened in 1974 and has two levels of shopping, multi-storey parking for up to 500 cars, a bus station and is home to theHaymarket Theatre. Highcross Leicester opened in 2008 after work to redevelop "The Shires Centre" was completed at a cost of £350 million (creating 120 stores, 15 restaurants, a cinema, 110,000 m²of shopping space).

St Martin's Square and the Leicester Lanes area has numerous designer and specialist shops; several of the city's Victorian arcades are located in the same neighbourhood.Leicester Marketis the largest outdoor covered market in Europe.^[116]It central feature, theLeicester Corn Exchange, has been converted into a public house.^[117]

Central Leicester is the location for severaldepartment storesincludingJohn Lewis,Debenhams.

TheGolden Mileis the name given to a stretch of Belgrave Road renowned for its authentic Indian restaurants,sarishops, andjewellers; theDiwalicelebrations in Leicester are focused on this area and are the largest outside the sub-continent.^[118]

Henry Walker was a successful pork butcher who moved fromMansfieldto Leicester in the 1880s to take over an established business in High Street. The first Walker's crisp production line was in the empty upper storey of Walker's Oxford Street factory in Leicester. In the early days the potatoes were sliced by hand and cooked in an ordinarydeep fryer. In 1971 theWalker'scrisps business was sold toStandard Brands, an American firm, who sold on the company toFrito-Lay.Walker'scrisps makes 10 million bags of crisps per day at two factories in Beaumont Leys, and is the UK's largest grocery brand.^[119]The Beaumont Leys manufacturing plant is world's largest crisp factory.^[120]

Meanwhile, the sausage and pie business was bought out bySamworth Brothersin 1986. Production outgrew the Cobden Street site and pork pies are now manufactured at a meat processing factory and bakery in Beaumont Leys, coincidentally near to the separately owned crisp factories. Sold under the Walker's name and under UK retailers own brands such asTesco,^[121]over three million hot and cold pies are made each week.^[122]Henry Walker's butcher shop at 4–6 Cheapside sold Walker's sausages and pork pies until March 2012 when owner Scottish Fife Fine Foods ceased trading, although the shop was temporarily open and selling Walker's pies for the Christmas 2012 season.^[123]

There are tenscheduled monuments in Leicesterand thirteenGrade I listed buildings: some sites, such asLeicester Castleand the Jewry Wall, appear on both lists.

20th-century architecture:Leicester University Engineering Building (James Stirling & James Gowan : Grd II Listed), Kingstone Department Store, Belgrave Gate (Raymond McGrath : Grd II Listed),National Space Centretower.

Older architecture:

Parks:Abbey Park,Botanic Gardens, Castle Gardens,Grand Union Canal, Knighton Park,Nelson Mandela Park,River Soar,Victoria Park,Watermead Country Park.

Industry:Abbey Pumping Station,National Space Centre,Great Central Railway.

Historic buildings:Town Hall,Guildhall,Belgrave Hall,Jewry Wall,Secular Hall,Abbey,Castle,St Mary de Castro,The City Rooms,Newarke Magazine Gateway.

Shopping:Abbey Lane-grandes surfaces,Beaumont Shopping Centre, Belvoir Street/Market Street,Golden Mile,Haymarket Shopping Centre,Highcross, Leicester Lanes,Leicester Market, St Martin's Square,Silver Arcadearea.

Sport:King Power Stadium–Leicester City FC,Welford Road–Leicester Tigers,Grace Road–Leicestershire County Cricket Club,Paul Chapman & Sons Arena,Leicester Lions Speedway, Leicester Sports Arena –Leicester Riders,Saffron Lane sports centre–Leicester Coritanian Athletics Club.

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East Midlands Airport(EMA), atCastle Donington20 miles (32 km) north-north-west of the city, is the closest international airport. The airport is a national hub for mail/freight networks.

Leicester Airport(LRC) is a small airport, some 6 miles (9.7 km) east of Leicester city centre; it does not operate scheduled services.

Leicester is at the midpoint of the primary English north/southM1 motorwaybetween London and Leeds, served by junctions 21, 21A and 22. This is where the M1 transects with one of the primary north-east to south-west routes, theM69 motorway/A46corridor linking to theA1andM6 motorwayat Newark-on-Trent and Coventry respectively. TheM42 motorwaytowardsBirmingham Airportterminates innorth-west Leicestershire, some 12 miles (19 km) west-north-west of the Leicester urban area. Leicester is at the nexus of the A6/(A14), A50, A47 and A607 trunk roads and A426 and A5199 primary routes.

Leicester has two main bus stations:St. MargaretsandHaymarket, which was recommissioned in May 2016. The main bus operators for Leicester and the surrounding area areArriva Fox County,Centrebus,First Leicester,Hinckley Bus (Part of Arriva Midlands),Kinchbus, Leicester Bus andStagecoach Midlands.

TheStar trak real timesystem was introduced in 2000 by Leicester City Council; it allowed bus tracking and the retrieval of bus times by text message or online. The system was discontinued in 2011.

There are three permanentPark and Ridesites at Meynells Gorse (Leicester Forest East), Birstall and Enderby; buses operate every 15 mins from all sites. The park and ride services are branded asquicksilver shuttleand are contracted to Roberts' Coaches from theCity CouncilandCounty Council; buses use a purpose-built terminal near St. Nicholas Circle.

Leicester has two circular bus services:Hop!which operates anticlockwise in the city centre via the railway station and Haymarket bus station, and the larger 30-mile (48-kilometre) longOrbitalwhich operates in both directions.^[124][125]

National Cycle NetworkRoute 6passes through Leicestershire along with other secondary routes. TheLeicester Bike Parkis in Town Hall Square.Cycle WorksBike Mechanic Training Centre is in Wellington Street Adult Education Centre and former Central Lending Library.

Since 2021, the city has anelectric bicyclesharing scheme,Santander Cycles Leicester. The scheme is a joint venture betweenLeicester City Council, the operator Ride On, Enzen Global as delivery partner and additional funding provided through sponsorship withSantander.^[126]

The rail network is of growing importance in Leicester and, with the start ofEurostarinternational services fromLondon St Pancras Internationalin November 2007,Leicester railway stationhas gained connections at St. Pancras station to Lille, Brussels and Paris onwards.

Inter-city services are operated byEast Midlands Railwayproviding connectivity on 'fast' and 'semi-fast' services to London, the south-east and to major locations in the East Midlands and Yorkshire; there are also local services operating within the East Midlands region. Trans-regional services to theWest MidlandsandEast Angliaare provided byCrossCountry, enabling connections at nearbyNuneaton, onto theWest Coast main line, and atPeterboroughto theEast Coast Main Line.

The 99 miles (159 km) fromLeicester Railway StationtoLondon St Pancras Internationalon the Midland Main Line are covered in an average of 1hour 25minutes during the morning peak, with journey times as low as 1hour 6minutes later in the day. Transfers ontoLondon UndergroundorThameslinktrain services to London City or West End add another 15 to 25minutes to the journey time; double that to Canary Wharf. The journey time toSheffieldis around one hour, with Leeds and York taking approximately two.Birminghamis 50minutes away andCambridge, via Peterborough, can be reached in around 1hour 55minutes with further direct services available onto Stansted Airport in north Essex.

The decommissionedLeicester Central railway stationis on the late Victorian Great Central Railway line that ran from London Marylebone northwards.Beeching cutsclosed the route in the late 1960s. A preserved section, however, remains operational in the East Midlands centred on Loughborough Central railway station providing tourist services through central Leicestershire,passing Swithland Reservoir on to theLeicester North railway stationterminus.

Two navigable waterways join at Leicester: TheLeicester Lineof theGrand Union Canal, and theRiver SoarNavigation. The Grand Union Canal links Leicester with London and Birmingham to the south, and joins the Soar in Leicester, which links the city to theRiver Trent, and theTrent and Mersey Canalto the north.^[127]

Leicester is home to a number of comprehensive schools and independent schools. There are three sixth form colleges, all of which were previously grammar schools.

The Leicester CityLocal Education Authorityinitially had a troubled history when formed in 1997 as part of the local government reorganisation – a 1999Ofstedinspection found "few strengths and many weaknesses", although there has been considerable improvement since then.

Tudor Grange Samworth Academyanacademywhose catchment area includes the Saffron and Eyres Monsell estates, was co-sponsored by theChurch of Englandand David Samworth, chairman of Samworth Brothers pasty makers.

Under the "Building Schools for the Future" project, Leicester City Council has contracted with developers Miller Consortium for £315 million to rebuildBeaumont Leys School,Judgemeadow Community College, theCity of Leicester Collegein Evington, andSoar Valley Collegein Rushey Mead, and to refurbish Fullhurst Community College in Braunstone.^[128]

Leicester City Council underwent a major reorganisation of children's services in 2006, creating a new Children and Young People's Services department.

Leicester is home to two universities, theUniversity of Leicester, which attained itsRoyal Charterin 1957 and was ranked 12th by the 2009 Complete University Guide,^[129]andDe Montfort University, which opened in 1969 asLeicester Polytechnicand achieved university status in 1992.

It is also home to theNational Space Centreoff Abbey Lane, due in part to the University of Leicester being one of the few universities in the UK to specialise in space sciences.

The Cathedral Church of Saint Martin, Leicester,^[130]usually known asLeicester Cathedral,^[131]is theChurch of Englandcathedral and is the seat of theBishop of Leicester.^[132]The church was elevated to acollegiate churchin 1922 and made a cathedral in 1927 following the establishment of a newDiocese of Leicesterin 1926.^{[133][134][135]}

TheChurch of England parish churchofSt Nicholasis the oldest place of worship in the city. Parts of the church certainly date from about 880 AD, and a recent architectural survey suggested possible Roman building work. The tower isNorman. By 1825 the church was in an extremely poor condition, and plans were made for its demolition. Instead, it was extensively renovated between 1875 and 1884, including the building of a new northaisle. Renovation continued into the twentieth century. A fifteenth-century octagonalfont. from the redundantChurch of St Michael the Greater, Stamford, was transferred to St Nicholas.^[136]

St Peter's Lane takes its name from the former medieval church of that name, which closed in the 1570s, its parish having merged with All Saints church.^[137]

From the mid 17th century Leicester became a noted centre forProtestant Nonconformityand many sects constructed places of worship in the city including theBaptists, theCongregationalists, theQuakers, theMethodists, and theUnitarians. By the 19th century the Baptist, Methodist, and Congregational presence had grown to include churches in several districts across the city and theNonconformist consciencedid much to impact the city's progressive politics. Many of these congregations are still active. In the aftermath ofCatholic Emancipationin the 19th century a number ofRoman Catholicchurches and schools have been established in the city (seeCatholic churches in Leicester).^{[138][139][140]}

In 2011 Christians were the largest religious group in the city at 32.4%, withMuslimsnext (18.6%), followed byHindus(15.2%),Sikhs(4.4%),Buddhists(0.4%), and Jews (0.1%). In addition, 0.6% belonged to other religions, 22.8% identified with no religion and 5.6% did not respond to the question.^[141]The city is home to places of worship or gathering for all the faith groups mentioned and many of their respective sub-denominations. In the case of Judaism, for example, with only 0.1% declaring it as their faith, the city hosts two active synagogues: oneLiberaland oneOrthodox.^{[citation needed]}

Places of worship include:Holy Cross Priory(Roman Catholic),Shree Jalaram Prarthana Mandal(Hindu temple),^[142]theStake Centreof theLDS Church'sStake,^{[citation needed]}fourChristadelphianmeeting halls,^[143]Jain Centre,^[144]Leicester Cathedral, Leicester Central Mosque,^[145]Masjid Umar^[146](Mosque),^[147]Guru Nanak Gurdwara (Sikh), Neve Shalom Synagogue (Progressive Jewish).^{[citation needed]}

The city hosts annually aCaribbean Carnival and parade(the largest in the UK outside London),Diwalicelebrations (the largest outside of India),^[148]the largest comedy festival in the UKLeicester Comedy Festivaland aPride Parade(Leicester Pride). Belgrave Road, not far from the city centre, is colloquially known as "The Golden Mile" because of the number of Jewellers.

The Leicester International Short Film Festival is an annual event; it commenced in 1996 under the banner title of "Seconds Out". It has become one of the most important short film festivals in the UK and usually runs in early November, with venues including thePhoenix Square.^{[149][150][151]}

Notable arts venues in the city include:

• Curve: Purpose-designed performing arts centre, designed byRafael Viñoly, opened in Autumn 2008,^[152]
• TheDe Montfort Hall
• TheHaymarket Theatre
• TheLittle Theatre
• The Y Theatre at the YMCA^[153]
• ThePeepul Centre, Designed by Andrzej Blonski Architects, the £15 million building was opened in 2005 and houses an auditorium, restaurant, cyber café, gym and dance studio for the local people, as well as being used for conferences and events. The centre has even been host to former Prime Minister Gordon Brown and other senior Labour Party figures for hustings during the deputy leadership contest.
• Phoenix Square, which in 2009, replaced thePhoenix Arts Centre.
• TheSue Townsend Theatre– which opened in the former Phoenix Arts Centre.

• 
  Newarke Houses Museum(Grade II*)
• 
  Leicester Museum & Art Gallery
• 
  Abbey Pumping Station
• 
  Jewry Wall Museum
• 
  Belgrave Hall
• 
  Gas Museum (Leicester)
• 
  The Guildhall
• 
  King Richard III Visitor Centre

Leicester is the setting for the fictional diaries ofAdrian Mole, created bySue Townsend. In the early books he lives in a suburb of Leicester and attends a local school where he first meets "the love of his life", Pandora Braithwaite.

After a period of years spent working in Oxford and London, Mole returns to Leicester and gets a job in a second-hand bookshop and a flat in an "upmarket" development on a swan-infested waterfront, which is a barely disguised representation of the area near to St. Nicholas Circle. Vastly in debt he is forced to move to the fictional village of Mangold Parva. The local (fictional)Member of Parliament(MP) for the town of Ashby de la Zouch is his old flame, Pandora Braithwaite.

Leicester is the setting forRod Duncan's novels, theFall of the Gas-Lit Empireseries and the Riot trilogy.

Leicester and the surrounding county are settings for severalGraham Joycenovels, includingDark Sister,The Limits of EnchantmentandSome Kind of Fairy Tale.

The Clarendon Park and New Walk areas of the city, along with an unnamed Charnwood village ("vaguely based upon Cossington", according to the author) are some of the settings of the 2014 novelThe Knot of Isisby Chrid McGordon.

Leicester is the setting for the British children book series,The Sleepover Club, by authors Rose Impey, Narinder Dhami, Lorna Read, Fiona Cummings, Louis Catt, Sue Mongredien, Angie Bates, Ginny Deals, Harriet Castor and Jana Novotny Hunter.

Notable feature films made in the city areThe Girl with Brains in Her Feet(1997),Jadoo(2013) andYamla Pagla Deewana 2(2013).

The city of Leicester has a successful record in sport. In 2016, it was named the UK's Greatest Sporting City, and in 2008, it was named as a European City of Sport.^{[154][155][156]}

Leicester Tigershave been the most successful Englishrugby unionfootball club since the introduction of a league in 1987, winning it a record eleven times, five more than eitherBathorWasps. They won the Premiership title most recently in 2022.^[157]

Leicester Cityare a professional association football club who currently compete in thePremier League. The club attracted global attention after winning thePremier Leaguetitle in 2016.^{[158][159][160]}

Leicester Ridersare the oldest professional basketball team in the country. In 2016, they moved into the new Charter Street Leicester Community Sports Arena.^[161]

Leicestershire County Cricket Clubwho are a professional cricket club based at Grace Road, Leicester, currently play in the second tier of the county championship. They won the County Championship in 1996 and 1998.^[162]

Greyhound racingtook place at two venues in the city; the main venue was theLeicester Stadiumwhich hosted racing from 1928 to 1984, it also hostedspeedway.^[163]A smaller track existed atAylestone Road(1927–1929).^[164][165]

In the public sector,University Hospitals LeicesterNHS Trust is one of the larger employers in the city, with over 12,000 employees working for the Trust. Leicester City Primary Care Trust employs over 1,000 full and part-time staff providing healthcare services in the city. Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust^[166]employs 3,000 staff providing mental health and learning disability services in the city and county.

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

TheLeicester Mercurywas founded byJames Thompsonin 1874. Until recently, it was based at 16–18 New Walk, but switched to an almost entirely remote operation after theCOVID-19 pandemic.

Pukaar Group, a local media company, publishes theLeicester Times.^{[167][non-primary source needed]}

A co-operative and independent newspaper, theGreat Central Gazette, was launched online in March 2023. It plans to launch a print edition in 2024.^[168]

National Worldhas plans to launch online-onlyLeicester World.^[169]

TheMidlands Asian Televisionchannel known as MATV Channel 6 was broadcast in Leicester until late 2009.

BBC Radio Leicesterwas the firstBBC Local Radiostation in Britain, opening on 8 November 1967. Other analogue FM radio stations are Leicester Community Radio for English speaking over 35's (1449 AM/MW),Demon FMwhich is Leicester's community and student radio station broadcasting from De Montfort University,Takeover Radiois the first ever children's radio station in the UK to be produced and presented by children,Capital Midlands,Gem,Smooth East MidlandsandHindu Sanskar Radio, which only broadcasts during Hindu religious festivals.BBC Asian NetworkandSabras Radiobroadcast on AM.

The localDABmultiplex includesCapital Midlands,BBC Radio Leicester,GemandSmooth East Midlands.

Leicester's independent radio stations launched a new DAB multiplex in 2023.^[170][171]

There are two hospital radio stations in Leicester, Radio Fox and Radio Gwendolen. Leicester University has a radio station,Galaxy Radio.

Leicester istwinnedwith six cities.^[172]

• Strasbourg, France (1960)^[173][174]
• Krefeld, Germany (1969)
• Masaya, Nicaragua (1987)
• Chongqing, China (1993)
• Rajkot, India (1996)
• Haskovo, Bulgaria (2008)

Since 1973, thefire servicesof Leicester and twin cityKrefeldhave played each other in an annual 'friendly' football match.^[175]

The following people and military units have received theFreedom of the Cityof Leicester.

This list is incomplete; you can help by adding missing items. (October 2019)

• Thomas Wright: 25 October 1892.
• Edward Wood: 25 October 1892.
• Thomas Windley: 31 March 1903.
• ColonelJohn Edward Sarson: 31 March 1903.
• Alexander Bains: 29 November 1904.
• William Wilkins Vincent: 28 November 1911.
• Thomas Smith: 3 July 1918.
• Jonathan North: 28 January 1919.
• Admiral of the FleetLord Beatty: 28 January 1919.
• Thomas Fielding Johnson : 8 July 1919.
• Field MarshalLord Haig: 28 February 1922.
• Charles John Bond: 28 April 1925.
• CaptainRobert Gee: 28 April 1925.
• James Ramsay MacDonald: 29 October 1929.
• Lord Laig of Lambeth: 28 May 1935.
• Walter Ernest Wilford: 26 July 1949.
• Thomas Rowland Hill: 3 January 1956.
• Lieutenant ColonelSir Robert Martin: 3 January 1961.
• Sir Charles Robert Keene: 31 July 1962.
• Lord Janner of the City of Leicester: 26 October 1971.
• Sir Frederick Ernest Oliver: 26 October 1971.
• Sidney William Bridges: 26 October 1971.
• Mac Goldsmith: 26 October 1971.^[176]
• Sir David Attenborough: 30 November 1989.
• Lord Attenborough of Kingston upon Thames: 30 November 1989.
• ProfessorSir Alec Jeffreys: 26 November 1992.
• Gary Lineker: 26 November 1992.
• Frank Ephraim May: 12 July 2001.
• Rosemary Conley: 12 July 2001.
• Engelbert Humperdinck: 25 February 2009.
• Susan Lillian Townsend: 25 February 2009.
• Alan Birchenall: 25 February 2009.

^[177]

• TheRoyal Anglian Regiment: 25 January 1996.^[177]
• The9th/12th Royal Lancers: 30 June 2011.^[178]

• Turner, Robin (7 March 2013)."So Where's the Main Threat to the Welsh Bid to Be City of Culture?".Western Mail. Archived fromthe originalon 31 March 2002. Retrieved18 January2019.
• Martin, Dan J. (21 May 2015). "Ted Cassidy takes the chains as Leicester's new ceremonial lord mayor".Leicester Mercury.
• BBC News Leicester (4 May 2013). "Richard III team makes second Leicester car park find".

• Leicester City Council