Historic BuildingsEarl Shilton

Ashby Castle forms the backdrop to the famous jousting scenes in Sir Walter Scott's classic novel of 1819, Ivanhoe. Now a ruin, the castle began as a manor house in the 12th century and only achieved castle status in the 15th century, by which time the hall…
Distance: 13.7 miles away

In Leicestershire on an August morning just over five centuries ago the armies of Richard III and Henry Tudor faced each other on Ambion Hill. The battle that followed ‐ Richard's last stand in the Wars of the Roses ‐ gave England a new king and saw the…
Distance: 4.2 miles away

Snibston Discovery Park takes its name from one of the three coal mines sunk in the 1820s and 1830s that helped create the town of Coalville in north‐west Leicestershire. Here you can discover science and industry, fashion and textiles and the environment with popular hands‐on exhibits interpreting…
Distance: 8.3 miles away

This TudorElizabethan House was Gothicised by Sir Roger Newdigate in the 18th Century and is regarded as the Gothic Gem of the Midlands. The Hall contains a fine collection of both Oriental and Chelsea porcelain, portraits by Lely, Reynolds, Devis and Romney and furniture by Chippendale and…
Distance: 9.1 miles away

Today, Belgrave Hall and Gardens provide an oasis of peace and quiet in a busy suburb of Leicester. Edmund Cradock, a 'nouveau riche' hosiery merchant, built the Hall between 1709 and 1713 and died soon after its completion. Little is known of the next owners, the…
Distance: 10.4 miles away

A 13th century stone house ,renovated in the 17th century with gardens that have been re‐created in a 17th century style. Donington‐le‐Heath Manor House was built in the late 13th century and was renovated early in the 17th century. Visitors to the house can now see…
Distance: 10 miles away

With parts of the countryside out of bounds due to the foot and mouth crisis, Leicestershire residents can still enjoy the great outdoors at the University of Leicester Harold Martin Botanic Garden. The garden spans 6. 5 hectares of lovingly cultivated grounds. The horticulture, spectacular…
Distance: 9.1 miles away

St Mary's Guildhall served as the centre of King Henry VI's court during the Wars of the Roses and as a prison to Mary, Queen of Scots. William Shakespeare is thought to have staged his plays here and writer George Elliot, who knew the hall well, used…
Distance: 13.6 miles away

Stanford Hall, built in the 1690s for Sir Roger Cave, is still home to his descendants and is one of the most exquisite examples of the architecture of the period. In the 1690s, Sir Roger Cave commissioned the Smiths of Warwick to pull down the old Manor…
Distance: 13.5 miles away

The Guildhall has had many uses and lives. The Great Hall itself was built in about 1390 as a meeting place for the Guild of Corpus Christi a small but powerful group of businessman and gentry. Over the next hundred years the Great Hall was extended…
Distance: 9 miles away