This thread is to discuss how to improve Leicester's historically significant buildings and areas in order for them to be appreciated alongside the regeneration of the city.
Leicester's best kept secret is the Castle Great Hall, though it may not look like a 'castle' it has had a chequered history like many of England's finest castles.
It is currently not open to the public and would be a great tourist attraction if it were (many who don't even know it exists!).
Here's a reconstruction of what the castle area and Leicester may have looked like during the Norman period:
Source: Leicester City Council website
From west bank around 1795 (the original hall looked like this):
Source: Stevenson, J. Leicester Through the Ages (1995), p16 (original from Nichols, Vol I, part II, 1815)
Interior of the hall early 17th century (you can see it being used as a court, though it is now split up. The two Norman windows are still there):
Source: Stevenson, J. Leicester Through the Ages (1995), p15 (original from Thomson, J, Leicester Castle, 1859)
Agree entirely. There are plenty of tourists around the area nowadays. Loads of students for large parts of the year. Even if people were just nipping in for a coffee or a cob, they would generate extra income.
Reminds me of when I was sat in the reception area of the prison on the day when Leicester were playing Sevilla in the Champs League and saw at least two groups of people coming in and asking for tickets and whether they did a tour
i kept making loads of noise in leicester prison and the prison officer said if i didnt keep the noise down he wud throw me out - true story. he didnt throw me out tho, i think he was just having a laff.
they have a small sports area on top of one of the buildings with a small football pitch on it but no one was allowed to play football cos a screw had tripped on the ball, broke his ankle and sued the prison system - another screw told us the story on our induction and pointed out the officer who had sued the prison, he was still working there.
one last story, we sat in the classroom and a fat prisoner moaned to a teacher that the food was really horrible, nasty, disgusting and then he moaned that you dont get enough of it.
i spent seven weeks having a rite laff and colouring in pictures of spiderman - i wudnt want to go in there again but i can understand why people cant wait to go back - i still miss now sometimes
oh yeah, theres an old building near the centre of the complex thats shaped like a 50p coin (or similar shape to it) i was told that it was were they hanged you in the old days, dont no if was true but a prison officer took me towards it and i almost crapped it
oh yeah the prison library was full of books on the krays and jack the ripper and stuff like that
they have a small sports area on top of one of the buildings with a small football pitch on it but no one was allowed to play football cos a screw had tripped on the ball, broke his ankle and sued the prison system - another screw told us the story on our induction and pointed out the officer who had sued the prison, he was still working there.
oh yeah, theres an old building near the centre of the complex thats shaped like a 50p coin (or similar shape to it) i was told that it was were they hanged you in the old days, dont no if was true but a prison officer took me towards it and i almost crapped it
I think the whole screw-breaking-ankle story is a bit of an urban myth.
The building in the centre houses the administration (Governor's office etc.) but was never used for executions as far as I know. The cell for the condemned was in one of the towers by the main gate and the 'execution shed' was in one of the buildings at the north of the site; pretty much where the kitchen is now if I remember correctly.
Talking of the prison, its surrounds and the Old Town, I've just been speaking to someone who used to work at The Crescent on King Street.
This was in the late 1980s, so things may have changed - but he saw the evidence of the tunnels underneath the building that extended in the direction of the prison, city centre and other areas.
There was a very large tunnel as well, which went off to an unknown location. Apparently nobody dared to walk along it to find out...
Yeah, I'd love to give it a go. There should be plenty of historical evidence for all the tales about tunnels under Leicester? Never seen anything confirmed though?
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