Leicester

Leicester (/ˈlɛstər/ ^ⓘ LES-tər) is a city, unitary authority area, and the county town of Leicestershire in the East Midlands of England. It is the largest city in the East Midlands with a population of 373,399 in 2022. The greater Leicester urban area had a population of 559,017 in 2021, making it the 11th most populous in England, and the 13th 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.

The city lies on the River Soar and is approximately 90 miles (140 km) north-northwest of London, 33 miles (53 km) east-northeast of Birmingham and 21 miles (34 km) northeast of Coventry. Nottingham and Derby lie around 21 miles (34 km) to the north and northwest respectively, whilst Peterborough is located 37 miles (60 km) to the east. Leicester is close to the eastern end of the National Forest.

Leicester has a long history extending into ancient times. The site of an Iron Age oppidum, it developed into the Roman town of Ratae Corieltauvorum following the conquest. The ruins of Ratae were later settled by the Anglo-Saxons, and then captured by the Vikings who made it one of the Five Boroughs of the Danelaw. After the Norman Conquest the town came under the authority of the Beaumont and De Montfort Earls, most notably the famous rebel Simon de Montfort. After his death in 1265 the town passed to the House of Lancaster and Leicester Castle became one of their strongholds, a royal residence when the family came to the throne in 1399. Leicester therefore became an important town in the wider nation, the meeting place of the parliaments of 1318, 1414, and 1450, and a place frequently visited by the King and his court. Most famously King Richard III spent his last days in the town before his death at the Battle of Bosworth and was buried there in August 1485. In the Early Modern era Puritanism flourished in Leicester and the town was a supporter of the Parliamentarian cause in the Civil War. In the Victorian age the town became known for its hosiery and shoe manufacturing industries. It also rapidly expanded in population and size eventually gaining city status in 1919. Since the mid-20th century, immigration from countries of the British Commonwealth has seen Leicester become an ethnically diverse city, and one of the largest urban centres of the Midlands.

Leicester is at the intersection of two railway lines: the Midland Main Line and the Birmingham to London Stansted Airport line. It is also at the confluence of the M1/M69 motorways and the A6/A46 trunk routes. Leicester Cathedral is home to the new tomb of Richard III who was reburied in the cathedral in 2015 after being discovered nearby in the foundations of the lost Greyfriars chapel, more than 500 years after his death. In sporting terms, Leicester is the home to football club Leicester City and rugby club Leicester Tigers.