Mediaeval Leicester (A Guided Walk in Leicester)
"Mediaeval Leicester", devised and led by Blue Badge Guide Colin Crosby, of Colin Crosby Heritage Tours, is a very popular Guided Walk around Leicester's Old Town.
These strolls are an enjoyable way of soaking up some Local History.
Leicester is one of the dozen or so oldest towns in England, and was the scene of many chapters of English history.
The walk encompasses views of many of the surviving buildings from the Middle Ages, as well as discussing others which have been long demolished.
The walk starts by the Fountain outside St. Martin's Church, which is now Leicester Cathedral. It has monuments to Richard III, who was buried nearby at the Greyfriars, and to Abigail Herrick, the mother of Jonathan Swift.
Among the other buildings to be seen on the walk are the timber-framed Guildhall, which dates back to the late 14th century; the half-timbered Wygstons House, formerly a Museum of Costume; and the Old Grammar School, built in the Elizabethan period from the stone of wood of the decayed St. Peter's Church.
Also to be seen are St. Nicholas Church (probably the seat of Leicester's early Bishops, including the famous St. Wilfrid) and St. Mary de Castro Church, scene of Geoffrey Chaucer's marriage and the vigil and knighting of 5-year-old Henry VI.
Three gateways appear along the route - John of Gaunts Cottage, built about a century after that great magnate's death; the Turret Gateway, around which there was severe fighting during the Siege of Leicester in 1645; and the Magazine Gateway, which led into the Newarke, a 14th century addition to Leicester Castle.
The Great Hall of Leicester Castle is also seen, masquerading as a Georgian building but with a 12th century hall behind.
Dates, costs and where to meet
A place on 'Mediaeval Leicester' costs £6.00 per person, or £5.00 if paying in advance. The guided walk begins at Richard III Statue, and is running on:
I'm sorry, but there are no plans to run this event at present.
If you would like to book a place on one of these dates, please telephone Colin on (0116) 2611576 or email him at colin@crosbyheritage.co.uk.