Treasures Unlocked
While visiting Leicestershire's attractions, why not visit a local church to learn more about the area?
Treasures Unlocked is a group of ten churches that are situated close to one of Leicester and Leicestershire's major attractions. Each church is open and has something interesting to share that is often overlooked by visitors to the area.
Where can you find a spire that reaches 210ft or a remarkable collection of tombs of the Lords of Belvoir? Discover more about the mining disaster of 1898 in Coalville at Christ Church after your visit to Snibston - the museum with displays of mining history. See the stained glass windows at St Mary's Church in Melton Mowbray after your visit to Belvoir Castle or after you've sampled the pork pies that are made locally. Or search for the marks on the pillars that are said to be from the sharpening of knives and swords by troops during the civil war.
There are lots of suggestions here - extend your visit just a little longer and unlock the treasures located in many of our local churches in Leicestershire.
This project has been financially supported by the Leicestershire Rural Partnership.
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Ashby de la Zouch
Ashby de la Zouch is a pretty market town in north west Leicestershire. The headquarters of the National Forest is in the nearby village of Moira which is home to the family visitor attraction, Conkers.
Conkers, the award winning attraction at The Heart of the National Forest, is a unique mix of indoor and outdoor experiences that will keep you and your family engaged for hours. There are outdoor activities including an assault course, birdwatching hides and Conkerchoo the train that will transport you from one side of the attraction to the other. Inside there are interactive activities helping you to learn a little more about recycling and wildlife.
Also in Ashby de la Zouch there are the ruins of the English Heritage owned Ashby Castle where an audio tour will take you back in time when the castle was inhabited.
St Helen's Parish Church is centrally located in the town centre, close to the ruins of Ashby Castle and is well worth a visit while in the area. At the back of the church is a rare finger pillory, which was used to punish those who had misbehaved in church!
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Bottesford
Bottesford is the most northerly village in Leicestershire and lies to the north of the town of Melton Mowbray.
Belvoir Castle looks out over the Vale of Belvoir and can be visited during August. It is home to the Duke and Duchess of Rutland and houses many notable paintings and pieces of art.
The parish church in Bottesford is St Mary the Virgin which has many interesting features. It was built by and has always been the family church of the inhabitants of Belvoir Castle, who were buried in the church until 1828 - hence the monuments. It is one of the largest village churches in England and contains a remarkable collection of tombs of the Lords of Belvoir. One tomb is the only one in the country to record the death of two heirs to an earldom by witchcraft!
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Melton Mowbray
Melton Mowbray is situated in the north east of Leicestershire and is a market town in the true sense. It has weekly livestock markets as well as an open air street market selling everything from local produce to clothing and footwear.
The town is well worth a visit for shopping and Ye Olde Pork Pie Shoppe runs demonstrations on how to make a real hand raised pork pie - you could even have a go yourself! Melton Country Park is located in the centre of the town and is a pleasant place to find some peace and quiet and hosts the annual Melton Show in the summer.
St Mary's Parish Church is also located in the centre of the town and has many notable features. World renowned organist and conductor Sir Malcolm Sargent was organist and choirmaster at St Mary's from 1914 to 1924 and a special memorial window in the chancel was added to commemorate his life when he died in 1967.
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Leicester City
Leicester city boasts two shopping centres in the centre of the city, Highcross and the Haymarket Shopping Centre. The Lanes, which are also located centrally, have many independent shops positioned in a pedestrianised area which are good for a leisurely time of shopping.
Museums in the city include New Walk Museum located in the tree lined promenade which has stayed free of traffic since it was laid out in 1785. The museum houses art exhibitions, Egyptian artifacts and prehistoric remains that have been found in Leicester and Leicestershire.
Other museums are the Jewry Wall Museum with the largest free-standing Roman structure remaining in Britain and the timber framed Guildhall with its police cells and large hall. The Guildhall is located opposite Leicester Cathedral in Peacock Lane. One of five medieval churches in the old town of Leicester, it was built on a pre-Christian religious site and has been a cathedral since the 1920s.
Inside there is a memorial to Abigail Herrick, a member of the famous Herrick family. Abigail lived at Wigston Magna and when visiting Dublin she met and married a cleric named Dr Swift. Their son is internationally remembered for 'Gulliver's Travels'. A memorial stone is located in the chancel to King Richard III although he is not actually buried there.
Market Bosworth
Market Bosworth is a small town located in the west of Leicestershire between the towns of Hinckley and Ibstock. It is a very pretty town with lots of old buildings and places to visit.
For an afternoon out you can choose from the Bosworth Water Park where you can learn to sail, camp or walk on the small man-made beach. The Battlefield Line is a small preserved railway line that runs from Bosworth Battlefield to Shenton. Or if you prefer to be near to water, the Ashby Trip also runs past the Battlefield, so give yourself time for either a train or canal ride. Allow penty of time to walk around the battle trail and visitor centre at Bosworth Battlefield.
The Parish Church at Market Bosworth is St Peter's on Church Street and has stained glass by Kempe in the south aisle. The Dixie memorials commemorate various members of the family who first came to Bosworth in 1567.
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Newtown Linford
Newtown Linford is situated just outside the city in beautiful countryside in the Borough of Charnwood.
The main entrance to Bradgate Park, which is one of the largest attractions in the Midlands, is here in Newtown Linford. Bradgate Park has rocky outcrops, small spinneys, a pretty gorge all within the 850 acres of landscape. It is also where the famous Leicestershire landmark 'Old John' can be found.
The Park was owned by the Grey family who were influential nobels of medieval and Tudor England. Bradgate House, one of the first unfortified brick dwellings in the country was begun in 1490 and its most famous resident was undoubtedly Lady Jane Grey, the 10 day Queen of England.
Located right beside the Park in Newtown Linford is All Saints Church that dates from the 16th century. Inside there is a stained glass window commemorating the life and death of Lady Jane Grey.
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Newton Harcourt
Newton Harcourt is a small village that lies to the south of Leicester.
Foxton Locks is a flight of ten locks in two staircases which raised the waterway 75 feet to the summit level. Negotiating the locks took time so an inclined plane was installed in 1900 in an attempt to speed up boat traffic. The boat lift was abandoned in 1911 but is currently being restored and together with the museum makes for a pleasant outing.
Also in the area in the summer months is a maize maze at Wistow. The maze is grown in a different outline each year, 2010 being in the shape of a spitfire. Across the road is Wistow Rural Centre with a number of craft workshops where the public can see crafts being made and are on sale.
Close by in the village of Newton Harcourt you will find the church of St Luke's which has a replica stone church in the graveyard carved by a father in rememberance of his young son. So after you've negotiated the maze at Wistow, travel along to Newton Harcourt and hunt down this delightful memorial.
Foxton
The village of Foxton lies just outside the market town of Market Harborough in the south of Leicestershire.
Market Harborough is a lovely town for shopping and eating out and has real character. The local museum has exhibitions which include a recent archealogocial find of Roman coins. Foxton Locks is a flight of ten locks in two staircases which raised the waterway 75 feet to the summit level. Negotiating the locks took time so an inclined plane was installed in 1900 in an attempt to speed up boat traffic. The boat lift was abandoned in 1911 but is currently being restored and together with the museum makes for a pleasant outing.
Local churches are St Andrew's Church in Foxton and St Helen's Church in nearby Gumley. Both churches are well worth a visit.
St Andrew's stands high at the south end of Foxton and has parts that date back to the 13th century. In the chancel are memoral tablets to the Revd F T Corrance and his relatives and glass in the east window was inserted in 1893 in memory of the Revd Edward Ellis and his wife. St Helen's in neighbouring Gumley stands in the grounds of Gumley Hall and consists of a spired west tower, chancel, nave, south aisle and south porch and is largely of the 14th century.
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Coalville
Coalville is located in the north west of Leicestershire in the heart of the National Forest. Coalville and the surrounding area was very much an area whose main industy was coal mining and many of its landmarks and street names reflects this history.
In Coalville you will find the popular visitor attraction Snibston Discovery Park right in the town centre. Tours of the old colliery buildings are available every day and are led by ex-miners from the local area who bring their stories alive - particularly when in the explosives hut! Inside the msueum you can find displays of local industry and currently includes an exhibition of costumes that have been used in TV and films in the recent past. An audio tour is also available that takes visitors around the country park and areas with great vantage points overlooking Coalville town. Special event take place regularly which include an annual bonfire and firework night in November, family days when a train runs from Snibston to the town centre and craft events aimed mainly at children.
After your visit to Snibston, stay in the area and look for Christ Church, the parish church of Coalville which is located on the same road as Snibston at the other end of the town. Here you will be able to learn more about the history of the town and see a memorial to the miners who were killed in the Coalville pit disaster of 1898.
