Leicester’s profile as a destination has been raised thanks to the discovery of Richard III’s body in 2012. We see what the royal fuss is about
Leicester has grown as a visitor destination in recent years, in no small part thanks to Richard III, the renowned Plantagenet king, whose remains was discovered in a city council car park in 2012.
King Richard’s is an unusual legacy, for a man who lived so long ago. Through the centuries he has been both loved and loathed in equal measure – defamed by the Tudors who wrested the crown from him; caricatured lastingly by Shakespeare, who was writing in the late Tudor era; but long supported by his own fan club, the Richard III Society.
Getting to know Richard
There has always been passion on both sides of the debate. He may have murdered his nephews to grab the throne; he may have had a “great heart”, as was written about him during his life. The King Richard III Visitor Centre in Leicester city centre has plenty of information about him, so groups can make up their own mind.
The story of his body’s discovery is exceptional in itself, all well-told at the Visitor Centre. When archaeology work on the car park began, no one really had high hopes that they would find anything – but in just a few days they’d found both the friary where they thought Richard might be buried, and the remains of the king himself.
Visit kriii.com
King Richard was finally given a burial befitting a king in 2015, and his grand tomb can be seen at handsome Leicester Cathedral. Groups can pre-book a guided tour of the Cathedral by contacting Bookings Manager Peter Collett on 0116 261 5369 or at peter.collett@leccofe.org.
Combined tickets with the King Richard III Visitor Centre are available from the Visitor Centre.
The tale of Richard’s actual death is one of the most gripping battlefield stories of English history. It was at the Battle of Bosworth Field, where Richard had led his army out from Leicester – an army that far outnumbered Henry Tudor’s. The Bosworth Battlefield Heritage Centre tells the whole story of the drama and betrayal that unfolded that fateful day in 1485. The award-winning exhibition allows groups to follow the fortunes of four characters at the battle, see objects used in the King Richard III reburial, and see real artefacts from the battle. Visit bosworthbattlefield.org.uk
Out into space
The jewel in Leicester’s crown is the National Space Centre, the UK’s fabulous home of astronomy. It has many galleries to explore, lots of hands-on activities, the Rocket Tower, and the UK’s largest planetarium.
The team at the National Space Centre have created several packages to suit different budgets, which can include afternoon tea, lunch, simulated space missions and more.
It also offers a Rest & Refresh package – a free rest stop with access to the coach parking, toilets, shop and café with no entry costs.
The Centre also provides a coach parking facility for groups that are just visiting the city centre, at £10 a day. Visit spacecentre.co.uk/visit/groups-3
Further afield
Another of Leicestershire’s group-friendly towns is Melton Mowbray, a haven for foodies.
A picturesque, historic town, Melton Mowbray is a centre of excellence for local food producers, famous for pork pies and Stilton cheese. There are a number of food and drink festivals through the year, including:
- The Melton Mowbray Food Festival
- The Great British Pie Awards
- PieFest
- The Artisan Cheese Fair
- Chocfest.
It’s also great for shopping, with a popular street market, a farmer’s market, a cattle and livestock market, and an antiques market. Visit goleicestershire.com/Melton-Mowbray
_Naked_1lb_Stilton_Chutney.jpg)
Groups are welcome at Ye Olde Pork Pie Shoppe, where Dickinson & Morris has been baking pork pies since 1851. This is now the only remaining bakery producing authentic Melton Mowbray pork pies in the town centre, and groups can see demonstrations of them being made including a tasting, or book a full pork-pie-baking session. Visit porkpie.co.uk
Group tasting sessions can also be arranged the Melton Cheeseboard, which showcases 150 different varieties of cheese, many sourced in and around Leicestershire, including the famous Stilton. Visit meltoncheeseboard.co.uk
Belvoir Alehouse is also well worth a visit, with guided tours available. Established in 1995, it produces award-winning ales including Beaver Best Bitter, Old Dalby Strong Ale, and the world-famous Blue Brew, which contains the whey of Stilton cheese. Visit belvoiralehouse.co.uk
Group planning
Leicestershire Promotions offers many more itinerary ideas on its website, and the team there are happy to help group travel organisers and coach tour operators plan their tours. Visit goleicestershire.com/groups
