29/12/13 - History Today

Distance - 6 Miles
Geocaches - 10
Walk Inspiration - Adding together CW Mag Aug 2002 and a GPS My City Walk

Leicester City

We wake to the first real morning of Winter.  The car is white over, the roads need gritting and there is a wonderful clear blue sky.  Really, I should have been walking in the Cotswolds or the Shropshire Hills - somewhere to do justice to the conditions.  Instead, our walk was plotted yesterday. 

And we are going to Leicester.

Not prime walking country, I grant you, but I have been brushing up on my Tudor History and have planned to go ever since I found out that Cardinal Wolsey died there 1530.  Throw in the discovery of Richard III's remains and we have a historical jaunt to take on.

What surprised me is that Sonia wanted to come along as well.  What probably surprises you is that I have a wife in the first place. 

So a review of potential walks mean that I can combine a walk to Abbey Park, with a tour of the Cities most historical locations.

We follow the instructions and park to the North of the City.  A woman in a bus stop starts barking at us.  As unlikely a start to a walk as you could hope for.  We leave her to her yelping and pick up the River Soar, which has the distinction of splitting in half and turning into a canal.

There is a trail of caches to lead us down the path.  Cache 1 is found by Sonia under the watchful eyes of two special policemen.  The sight of a man and woman rummaging in the undergrowth has not piqued their interest.  That's how special they are.

There are a number down here that add a bit of variety to the walk.  One has a full log book, so I take photo evidence.  Sonia questions the logic of this, but I am nothing if not faithful to the rules of the game.

Sonia holds the cache aloft

The paths brings us to the Space Centre.  A transparent building with a least one rocket inside.

See through building made of Bubble Wrap

We have been successful with all caches today, including some brazen hunting by Sonia, who insists nobody is interested in what we are up to. 

All we need is some refreshment and I have high hopes for Abbey Park.

The Building in the Distance looks promising

After a look around the foundations of the Abbey Infirmary, and a quick cache, we head down to investigate the building.

And a bit of messing around in the Corner Portals.

Joy of joys, the building is not only a cafe, its also has a memorial to Wolsey.  Double whammy - the promise of sausages and our first historical reference point.

Mappiman and Wolsey

Sonia took some convincing to enter the cafe.  She was put off by the rather gaudy Walls Signs, insisting that just a small one to advertise ice creams is all that is needed.  However, inside, she is well impressed.  I have some sat nav problems to overcome, so leave her with the money and my order.  Our food soon comes and in true lady style, she is disappointed that she only went for a Bacon Sarnie when I had a rather spiffing Full English Breakfast.  I am only surprised that she didn't jsut order nothing and suggest she "just shared mine".

With Sat Nav half fixed, we head off to cross the bridge and find a couple more caches, getting our only TB of the day.

Pretty Bridge

With the park done, we head off into the City to see what it has to offer.  We walk through some industrial ruins, which soon bring us to the City.

Haymarket Memorial - Traditional Centre

The council are obviously doing a lot to promote their historical past. 

Our Next Quest - Richard III

The king without a horse has been getting a lot of media coverage recently.  They found his remains in the city.  Underneath a council car park.

In my opinion, the only thing that says more about Britain than finding a former Monarch entombed under a councilor's parking space is a man taking his wife out for a day trip to look at the aforementioned parking space.

Peaking through the gates is as close as we got

Having ticked off Greyfriars, we need to find our way to the Cathedral.

Fortunately, there is a sign to help

Two places left to tick off.  First, the castle.  All that is left is the mound that it stood on and some nice gardens to walk through.  Finally, we need to check out the Jewry Wall.  These are the remains of a Roman Bathhouse.

Roman architecture can only be improved by building a 1960s office block next to it.

Everything ticked off, we just need to pick up the canal to return to the car.  The town is filling up with football fans getting ready for the 3pm game against Bolton.

The canal provides a bleak industrial landscape to walk along.  It is the chosen location for groups of Asian youths to hang around drinking industrial strength lager. 

Our route back to the car.

Next historical walk is to see one of the finest examples of Victorian engineering in Britain.  On the drive home, Sonia says that she cannot wait.