Double Decker to Leicester.

It was such a lovely day that we decided to catch the bus to Leicester. The bus stop is very conveniently placed on bridge 42 over the canal so we didn’t have to walk far. Our previous experience with country service buses is that they are generally single deck buses for negotiating the narrow lanes around the villages but not this one. We thought that as it was a double decker that it would use the wider roads, how wrong we were.

Inside St Martins Cathedral in Leicester

Even some of the streets in Market Bosworth are narrow with just enough room to squeeze through. Off across the countryside we went through villages with quaint Olde English names like Newtown Unthank, Kirby Muxloe, Newbold Verdun, Barton in the Beans, Barlestone and Braunstone (note this one is spelt with an “E” on the end). Some places you would swear that you could touch the buildings on both sides. After an hour of scenic countryside we arrived in Leicester.

Market square clock tower Leicester.

We had passed through Leicester on the River Soar in the boat but never stopped so this was to be our tour of of the city. We started off in the covered market place which was huge and then onto the cathedral which we found only gained cathedral status 80 years ago. Prior to this it was only a church in the Peterborough Diocese. The building is probably one of the best kept cathedral/churches we have had the pleasure of visiting and part of it dates back to Norman times. The church warden was most insistent that we sign the visitors book as they like to see where the visitors are coming from.

One of the biggest covered open markets we have seen.

Wandering through the old High St there were the usual empty shops. Many of the businesses have been lured into a new John Lewis shopping mall with over 200 outlets. I suppose it is nice to be able to shop all under one roof in comfort but traditional High Streets are fast loosing ground as shopping centre’s. Is modern man/woman getting too soft?

Built in the 2nd century AD the Jewry wall is part of a Roman bath house. It is the largest non military surviving Roman structure in the UK