Everyone knows Leicester and Leicestershire’s headline attractions. Richard III. The National Space Centre. Twycross Zoo. Belvoir Castle.
But what about the places locals rave about that rarely make it onto visitors’ itineraries?
That’s the idea behind a new campaign from Visit Leicester, which is shining a spotlight on the city and county’s “Hidden Gems” – lesser-known attractions, experiences, restaurants and days out that deserve far more attention.
The campaign aims to encourage visitors to look beyond the obvious and discover some of the places that residents already know and love. Whether it’s an independent cinema, a fascinating museum, a scenic countryside attraction or a standout local restaurant, the goal is to help people stay longer and explore more of what Leicester and Leicestershire have to offer.
Among the experiences highlighted are Leicester’s impressive street art scene, the Retro Computer Museum, the independent shops of The Lanes and Phoenix cinema, while food lovers are encouraged to explore Leicester’s well-earned reputation as England’s Curry Capital.
Further afield, attractions including Melton Carnegie Museum and The 1620s House have been recognised as hidden gems thanks to their visitor experience and storytelling, while Foxton Locks remains one of the county’s most underrated countryside destinations.
Motorcycling fans can also discover the Triumph Factory Visitor Experience, a free exhibition celebrating one of Britain’s most iconic engineering brands.
Visit Leicester says many of the featured attractions were inspired by local recommendations, family memories and favourite days out, with the campaign designed to capture the places that people in the region are most passionate about.
As well as showcasing attractions, the campaign will suggest places to stay, eat and visit nearby, helping travellers build a complete Leicester and Leicestershire itinerary.
Mike Denby, Director of Place Marketing and Inward Investment, said: “We are really proud to launch this new campaign, which shines a light on some of the very best venues and attractions our city and county have to offer.
“We know that Leicester locals love these places and I am certain that our visitors will feel the same when they discover them. There’s much more to come so keep an eye out as this campaign develops.”
The Hidden Gems section is now live on the Visit Leicester website, and local people are being encouraged to submit their own suggestions for overlooked attractions and experiences across the county.
Some of the attractions on the list…
Phoenix Cinema
Phoenix is Leicester’s centre for independent cinema, art and digital culture.
Phoenix is Leicester’s centre for independent cinema, art and digital culture. Films and art deserve to be experienced somewhere special – which is why the whole Phoenix team works hard to make Phoenix a place where everyone can feel welcome and inspired.
Following a multi-million pound expansion, Phoenix now boasts four state-of-the-art cinema screens, and shows everything from micro-budget independent films to the latest Hollywood blockbusters, plus film festivals and special events. And as an independent venue, the team handpicks Phoenix’s cinema programme specifically for Leicester audiences, so you’ll see things at Phoenix that aren’t screening in any other local cinemas.
Castle Gardens
Castle Gardens is a peaceful green space beside the Grand Union Canal in Leicester.
The park is the perfect stop for heritage lovers – set in the heart of the former medieval city, the area around the park includes the Great Hall of Leicester Castle as well the medieval castle motte. The motte can still be viewed and is accessible by a public footpath and steps from the park. Or follow the cobbled streets out of the park and round to the Turret Gateway and the church of St Mary de Castro, which saw the marriage of Geoffrey Chaucer and the knighting of infant King Henry VI.
Foxton Locks
How do you lift a fully loaded narrowboat up a 75ft hill? Engineers of the past 200 years have come up with not one but two ingenious solutions at Foxton and, together, they offer a day out like no other.
There are flights of locks all over the nation’s canal network but there’s nowhere quite like Foxton Locks – the longest and steepest staircase of locks in the country. Ten locks back-breakingly carved by hand through the Leicestershire countryside.
An innovative boat lift, or inclined plane, was built next to the locks to carry boats up and down the steep hill in giant bathtubs, or caissons, of water. Expensive to operate, and under increasing competition from the railways, it was mothballed after just 11 years but today visitors can stand on the remains and find out more about how it worked in the nearby museum.
Bouskell Park Ice House
Bouskell Park was once the site of a medieval village, the remains of which were cleared to create parkland and gardens for Blaby Hall. Much of the park’s features date back to this period including the Ice House built in 1843 which is now a Grade II Listed Building.
The historic Ice House was a form of early refrigeration and it would have been used by the residents of Blaby Hall to store ice that could be used to preserve food and cool drinks. Domed and circular in shape, the Ice House is covered by an earth mound with a small circular ventilation opening at the top.
Melton Carnegie Museum
Melton Carnegie Museum is housed in the town’s former Carnegie Library which was built in 1905 thanks to a grant from the richest man in the world.
No, not Elon Musk, but industrialist Andrew Carnegie of Carnegie Hall fame. He was a great philanthropist who gave 90% of his fortune to charitable causes, and was responsible for the building of libraries around the world.
The Carnegie Library building continued to serve the local community until 1977, when it was converted into the town’s museum. The museum began as a small collection aiming to showcase the history of Melton and the people who have lived and worked there from the Bronze Age to the present day.
Today – following a major expansion in 2010 – the museum is full of fascinating artefacts and history which chart the course of life in Melton, with historical finds from more than 4,000 years ago sitting alongside modern artworks and galleries right the way up to the 20th Century.
Find out more on the Visit Leicester Hidden Gems page.
