Leicestershire
Art, History & Archaeology Sites & Museums

Part of the East Midlands, Leicestershire lies at the heart of England. As well as a few scattered round barrows, the area’s prehistoric communities are represented by the Iron Age hillforts at Burrough Hill and Beacon Hill. Later part of Roman Britain, it was during this period that the settlement of Ratae Corieltauvorum grew up, forming the basis for the modern city of Leicester, now Leicestershire’s county town. As well as having part of its Roman baths still standing, the city is also home to the ruins of a medieval Augustinian abbey. England’s Middle Ages was brought to an end with the Battle of Bosworth Field in 1485, in which King Richard III was killed. After his body was rediscovered by archaeologists in 2012, it was reburied in Leicester Cathedral, a largely Victorian structure. Other prominent heritage sites in Leicestershire include the 17th-century Stanford Hall and the late 19th-century Stonywell.