{ "schema_version": "1.0", "generator_version": "2026-05-11-v223-metadata-version-polish", "generated_at": "2026-05-12T15:51:21.242011", "generator": { "function": "get_record_from_intelligence", "version": "2026-05-11-v223-metadata-version-polish", "template": "standard", "article_tone": "normal", "additional_search": "n/a", "research_quality": "limited" }, "geonameid": "2644668", "name": "Leicester", "alternate_names": [ { "name": "레스터", "lang": "ko", "isPreferredName": false, "isShortName": false }, { "name": "Caerlŷr", "lang": "cy", "isPreferredName": false, "isShortName": false }, { "name": "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leicester", "lang": "link", "isPreferredName": false, "isShortName": false }, { "name": "https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%9B%D0%B5%D1%81%D1%82%D0%B5%D1%80", "lang": "link", "isPreferredName": false, "isShortName": false }, { "name": "Lecestro", "lang": "eo", "isPreferredName": false, "isShortName": false }, { "name": "Leicester", "lang": "cs", "isPreferredName": 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} ], "region": "England", "country": "United Kingdom", "country_code": "GB", "page_url": "https://worldtownguide.com/settlements/leicester-england-gb.html", "json_url": "https://worldtownguide.com/data/settlements/leicester-england-gb.json", "same_as": [ "https://www.geonames.org/2644668", "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leicester" ], "coordinates": { "latitude": 52.6386, "longitude": -1.13169 }, "population": 368600, "population_note": "", "elevation_m": 65, "timezone": "Europe/London", "summary": "Leicester has a way of surprising people. It wears its history lightly — a Roman past buried beneath busy streets, a medieval cathedral sheltering the remains of a king who lay forgotten for five centuries, and a modern city that has consistently been ranked as the best place to live and work in the East Midlands. If you arrive expecting a quiet provincial city, the sheer density of its story will catch you off guard.\n\nFirst Impressions and Setting\n\nLeicester sits in the heart of the East Midlands, a city of just under 370,000 people that functions as both the county town of Leicestershire and the region's largest urban centre. The landscape here is gently undulating rather than dramatic — the kind of quietly pleasant English Midlands countryside that surrounds a city built for practical, purposeful living. The greater Leicester urban area extends well beyond the city's administrative boundaries and is home to well over half a million people, giving the wider area a weight and presence that its city centre streets tend to confirm. The city has ranked in the top 20 of the annual Good Growth for Cities Index and placed first in the East Midlands for 2024, assessed on a range of economic factors. That is not the kind of fact that reshapes first impressions, but it adds texture: this is a city that works.\n\nHistory, Identity and Local Stories\n\nLeicester's history is layered in the most literal sense. The Romans were here, and the city retains traces of its ancient past beneath streets that now carry modern traffic. By the medieval period, Leicester had become a place of real political consequence. Simon de Montfort, the 6th Earl of Leicester, is among its most significant historical figures — a nobleman of French origin who led the baronial opposition against King Henry III in the thirteenth century, became de facto ruler of England for a period, and played a formative role in the constitutional development of Parliament. His name still attaches itself to institutions and streets across the city.\n\nThe cathedral at the heart of the city centre carries its own remarkable chapter. The Cathedral Church of Saint Martin — Leicester Cathedral — is one of five surviving medieval churches in the city centre. It was elevated to cathedral status in 1927, following the establishment of the Diocese of Leicester in 1926. But it became world-famous in 2012 when the remains of King Richard III were discovered beneath a city centre car park on the site of the former Greyfriars church. Richard was the last Plantagenet king, killed at the Battle of Bosworth in 1485, and his body had lain undiscovered for over five hundred years. His reinterment at Leicester Cathedral in 2015 drew international attention and gave the city a focal point of genuine historical gravity.\n\nThe connection to Richard III is itself tied to a wider regional story. The Battle of Bosworth Field did not take place within Leicester itself but in the countryside to the west, near the village of Shenton and the hill known as Ambion Hill. The nearby Battlefield Line Railway, a heritage railway running from Shackerstone to Shenton via Market Bosworth, takes its name from that battle — the final engagement of the Wars of the Roses, a conflict immortalised in Shakespeare's Richard III. For visitors interested in the period, the railway and the battlefield site form part of the broader landscape that surrounds the city.\n\nDaily Life, Economy and Culture\n\nThe University of Leicester, whose main campus lies south of the city centre adjacent to Victoria Park, has been a university since 1957, having grown from University College, Leicester. It is a public research university and one of the defining institutions of modern Leicester, shaping the character of significant parts of the city. The presence of a large student population alongside a diverse permanent population gives Leicester an active, layered quality that goes beyond any single identity.\n\nWhat Visitors Notice\n\nThe city centre's medieval churches ground the streetscape in something older than the surrounding modern development. Leicester Cathedral is an obvious point of orientation — not just as a religious building but as the site of one of the most dramatic archaeological discoveries in modern British history. Visitors who walk the city centre will find a place shaped by centuries of use, with Roman, medieval and post-industrial layers visible in different ways at different points. Victoria Park, adjacent to the university, is one of the city's open green spaces. The surrounding Leicestershire countryside — rolling, pastoral and historically rich — is accessible from the city.\n\nGetting There and Around\n\nLeicester sits on the national rail network with direct connections to London St Pancras, which is among the most practical links for visitors arriving from the south. The city is also connected by road via the M1 and M69 motorways, placing it within straightforward reach of the wider motorway network. Visitors should check current timetables and local transport options directly, as services and schedules change. The city centre is walkable for most of the key historic sites. For reaching the surrounding countryside, including sites such as Bosworth Field and the Battlefield Line Railway, a vehicle or local bus connection is advisable, as these lie in the rural west of the county rather than within the city itself.\n\nPractical Notes\n\nTravel advisories for the United Kingdom currently stand at their lowest level, indicating normal precautions. This applies nationally and there are no specific regional advisories affecting Leicester. US travellers should consult the State Department at travel.state.gov and UK travellers should check the FCDO at gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice for the most current guidance. Leicester is a large, functioning city with standard emergency and public services. As with any city, ordinary attentiveness to personal belongings and surroundings is sensible. If you have local knowledge about Leicester that would help other visitors or residents, we welcome contributions to this guide.\n\n---\n\nFrequently Asked Questions\n\nQ: What is the population of Leicester?\nA: Leicester has a population of approximately 368,600, with the wider urban area home to over 559,000 people.\n\nQ: What time zone does Leicester use?\nA: Leicester uses the Europe/London time zone (GMT, or BST during British Summer Time).\n\nQ: Where are the coordinates for Leicester?\nA: Leicester is located at approximately 52.64 degrees North, 1.13 degrees West, in the East Midlands of England.\n\nQ: How high is Leicester above sea level?\nA: Leicester sits at approximately 65 metres above sea level.", "images": [ { "url": "https://worldtownguide.com/images/settlements/leicester-england-gb-wiki4.jpg", "original_url": "", "srcset": "https://worldtownguide.com/images/settlements/leicester-england-gb-wiki4-640.jpg 640w, https://worldtownguide.com/images/settlements/leicester-england-gb-wiki4.jpg 800w", "source": "wikipedia", "title": "Leicester", "credit": "Image: Wikipedia / Wikimedia Commons" }, { "url": "https://worldtownguide.com/images/settlements/leicester-england-gb-wiki3.jpg", "original_url": "", "srcset": "https://worldtownguide.com/images/settlements/leicester-england-gb-wiki3-640.jpg 640w, https://worldtownguide.com/images/settlements/leicester-england-gb-wiki3.jpg 800w", "source": "wikipedia", "title": "Leicester", "credit": "Image: Wikipedia / Wikimedia Commons" }, { "url": "https://worldtownguide.com/images/settlements/leicester-england-gb-wiki2.jpg", "original_url": "", "srcset": "https://worldtownguide.com/images/settlements/leicester-england-gb-wiki2-640.jpg 640w, https://worldtownguide.com/images/settlements/leicester-england-gb-wiki2.jpg 800w", "source": "wikipedia", "title": "Leicester", "credit": "Image: Wikipedia / Wikimedia Commons" }, { "url": "https://worldtownguide.com/images/settlements/leicester-england-gb.jpg", "original_url": "", "srcset": "https://worldtownguide.com/images/settlements/leicester-england-gb-640.jpg 640w, https://worldtownguide.com/images/settlements/leicester-england-gb.jpg 800w", "source": "wikipedia", "title": "Leicester", "credit": "Image: Wikipedia / Wikimedia Commons" } ], "nearby": [ { "geonameid": "2655980", "name": "Belgrave", "country": "United Kingdom", "population": 11558, "has_page": false, "page_url": null }, { "geonameid": "2646434", "name": "Humberstone", "country": "United Kingdom", "population": 18854, "has_page": false, "page_url": null }, { "geonameid": "2655593", "name": "Birstall", "country": "United Kingdom", "population": 12216, "has_page": false, "page_url": null }, { "geonameid": "2654859", "name": "Braunstone", "country": "United Kingdom", "population": 16850, "has_page": false, "page_url": null }, { "geonameid": "2656715", "name": "Aylestone", "country": "United Kingdom", "population": 11151, "has_page": false, "page_url": null }, { "geonameid": "2648484", "name": "Glenfield", "country": "United Kingdom", "population": 10000, "has_page": false, "page_url": null } ], "weather": { "temp": 13.2, "desc": "Partly cloudy", "icon": "⛅", "wind": 22.0, "humidity": 47 }, "faqs": [ { "question": "Is Leicester worth visiting?", "answer": "Leicester is worth considering when its main sights, local character and transport links match the trip you are planning. 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