Top 10 things to do in Leicestershire

With the remains of Richard III about to be reinterred at Leicester Cathedral next week, here are the top 10 things to do in Leicestershire.

King Richard III Visitor Centre
Listed as one of the world’s hottest new attractions for 2015 by travel guide company Lonely Planet, the King Richard III Visitor Centre and Bosworth Battlefield (above) are the must-visit attractions to discover the fascinating story behind the king. His remains will be reinterred in Leicester Cathedral on Thursday March 26 during a week of events.
See kriii.com, bosworthbattlefield.com

Try a pork pie and stilton
Leicestershire is home to the world-famous Melton Mowbray Pork Pie and Stilton cheese. Both products have EU protection, which means that they can only be produced in Melton Mowbray and the surrounding area. You can visit the oldest bakery in the town at Ye Olde Pork Pie Shoppe, discover the history of the pie and take some tasty goodies home to enjoy. You can also sample a selection of more than 200 local, regional and national cheeses at The Melton Cheeseboard.
See porkpie.co.uk and meltoncheeseboard.co.uk

New Walk Museum and Art Gallery
Discover why this attraction has been the inspiration for many people, including one of the world’s most influential art dealers Anthony d’Offay, as well as Sir David Attenborough, who pursued their love of art and natural history as a result of spending their formative years as regular visitors to the museum. Galleries include Picasso Ceramics: The Attenborough Collection and Leicester’s internationally renowned German Expressionist collection.
See leicester.gov.uk/your-council-services/lc/leicester-city-museums/museums/nwm-art-gallery/

National Space Centre
Journey to another world with a visit to the UK’s only visitor attraction dedicated to space. Here you will experience the 42 metre rocket tower, the 360° Sir Patrick Moore planetarium and more than 150 interactive activities.
See spacecentre.co.uk

Foxton Locks
Set in Leicestershire’s countryside, Foxton Locks is a feat of Victorian engineering. This inclined plane is the largest flight of staircase locks on the English canal system with two ‘staircases’ of five locks. Visit the new Boilerhouse experience where you can find out more about the fascinating story of the people and plane at Foxton Locks.
See goleicestershire.com/see-and-do/Foxton-Locks.aspx

Curve Theatre
 This high-tech theatre has a great range of productions throughout the year. 2015 sees performances of The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nightime, Sister Act and Shakespeare’s Richard III.
See curveonline.co.uk

Steam away on the Great Central
Dine in style on board a steam train at Great Central Railway – the UK’s only double track, main line heritage railway. It’s the only place in the world where full size steam engines can be seen passing each other – just as it was when steam ruled the rails.
See gcrailway.co.uk

Go for Gold
A visit to Leicester wouldn’t be complete without a trip along Belgrave Road, Leicester’s Golden Mile, so called because it sells the largest quantity of Indian Gold in Europe. Tantalise your taste buds with a visit to a modern or traditional curry house – how hot dare you go?
See goleicestershire.com/city/Belgrave.aspx

Leicester Market
Voted ‘Britain’s Favourite Market’, Leicester Market is situated in the heart of the city centre and with more than 300 stalls, it is open for six days a week, Monday to Saturday, every week of the year. The largest market of its type in Europe, it has a tradition for quality and service stretching back seven hundred years.
See leicestermarket.co.uk

Bradgate Park Country Park
First enclosed as a deer park around 800 years ago and extending to 830 acres of publicly accessible countryside, the park offers dramatic rocky outcrops and gnarled old oak trees, many of which are well over 500 years old. The lower part of the Park is easily accessible with a tarmac driveway running through the middle. Alongside the River Lin is a popular spot to sit and picnic or just sit and watch the deer while children paddle in the shallows. The Park also includes the ruins of Bradgate House – one of the earliest brick-built country houses in England and the birthplace and childhood home of Lady Jane Grey, Queen of England for Nine Days in 1553.
See bradgatepark.org