Story of Leicester

In the light of recent discoveries, Leicester has rightfully taken its place on the world stage. This timely and accessible new history gives an overview of the city’s history from the days of the Roman city of Ratae to the modern city of today. Leicester has been an important center for the last 2,000 years. When the Romans arrived they developed an existing settlement into Ratae, an administrative capital. Medieval Leicester was famous for its abbey and, in the fourteenth century, the castle became a base for the Plantagenets. During the Tudor, Stuart, and Georgian periods the town’s status declined slightly, but nonetheless it remained an important market town. Industrialisation and population growth radically changed Leicester during Victorian times, and it once again became prosperous, its economy underpinned by the hosiery, boot, and shoe and engineering industries – the basis of modern Leicester. This popular history provides new insights and brings the story of the city up to date.