Leicester’s history can be traced back to an Iron Age settlement by the River Soar and a subsequent Roman town where the Fosse Way crossed the river. Medieval Leicester flourished around its Norman castle, merchants and religious houses but was also subject to plagues and civil war. Industrialisation and coal mining brought wealth into Leicester in the nineteenth century but also prepared the ground for welfare movements and radical politics in the city. Today’s Leicester is a bustling city with a diverse economy – the largest in the East Midlands.

Illustrated throughout, this accessible historical portrait of the transformation that Leicester has undergone through the ages will be of great interest to residents, visitors and all those with links to the area.