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Secret Leicestershire

Explore fascinating stories from Leicester and Leicestershire.

Radio Leicester,44 episodes

Episodes

ListGrid

‘The Best Car in The World’
The Darracq 200hp: THE fastest thing on the planet in 1905
13 Jan 2026,6 mins
Christmas Eve 1965: A star fell from the sky
It’s 60 years since the Barwell meteorite landed in the village and made history.
24 Dec 2025,6 mins
The Belvoir Angels
Etched in gravestones around the Vale of Belvoir and found nowhere else in the world
23 Dec 2025,6 mins
The Anne of Cleves Pub in Melton Mowbray
The Melton Pub which was owned by the fourth wife of Henry VIII
17 Dec 2025,6 mins
The Medieval Dungeon Beneath Leicester Market
Beneath the surface of Leicester's market place, a wealth of archaeology can be found.
10 Dec 2025,6 mins
A runaway slave stars in a defining moment of Leicester’s history
On Tuesday the 2nd of March 1847 Frederick Douglass visited the city.
04 Dec 2025,6 mins
Why Melton is famous for ‘Painting the Town Red’
In 1837 the Marquis of Waterford and his friends wreaked havoc through Melton Mowbray.
26 Nov 2025,5 mins
Leicester’s medieval ‘party palace of Europe’
Leicester Castle’s Great Hall hosted many illustrious visitors including Richard III.
18 Nov 2025,6 mins
Crime and punishment in Leicester
Leicester had four gaols in the 18th century, all sited near Highcross Street.
11 Nov 2025,6 mins
Secret stories of Long Clawson’s Old Manor House
Long Clawson’s Old Manor House was once the home of a magistrate who tried witches.
28 Oct 2025,6 mins
Mountsorrel’s ancient Butter Market
Mountsorrel’s Butter Market was erected in 1793 to protect stallholders from the weather.
21 Oct 2025,6 mins
Leicester’s famous flamboyant Turkey Café
Leicester’s Turkey Café was designed by local architect and former mayor Arthur Wakerley.
14 Oct 2025,6 mins
The gallows of Gallowtree Gate
Gallowtree Gate was the road to the gallows where public executions were held.
01 Oct 2025,6 mins
The Elizabethan manor house saved from demolition
Narborough Hall was saved from the brink of ruin by two Leicestershire teachers.
09 Sep 2025,6 mins
Lilian Lenton – Rebel Suffragette
Inspired by the Women’s Suffrage campaigns Lilian Lenton was a militant Suffragette.
19 Aug 2025,7 mins
Rothley’s secret Anglo-Saxon Cross
Rothley’s Anglo-Saxon cross dates from around the time of the Vikings in the 9th century.
12 Aug 2025,6 mins
Leicester’s unsung hero of the British Grand Prix
Leicester’s Bob Gerard was one of Britain’s top racing drivers of the post-war period.
31 Jul 2025,6 mins
The mining innovation that changed the world
The Newcomen engine was designed to pump water out of coal mines.
16 Jul 2025,5 mins
The notorious witches from Husbands Bosworth
Nine women from Husbands Bosworth accused of witchcraft were executed in 1616.
08 Jul 2025,6 mins
Leicester Cathedral’s 'secret' medieval porch
Leicester Cathedral's porch over the North Door dates back to the medieval period.
26 Jun 2025,6 mins
The birthplace of coal mining in Leicestershire
The earliest documented form of coal mining in Swannington dates back to around 1204.
16 Jun 2025,6 mins
The ‘lost’ pleasure gardens of Stonton Wyville
Stonton Wyville has the remnants of a banqueting house with its own pleasure gardens.
27 May 2025,6 mins
The 1645 Siege of Leicester
The 1645 Siege of Leicester was a grim chapter in the history of the city.
21 May 2025,6 mins
What's it like inside Old John?
Old John began life as a ruined folly during the time of the 5th Earl of Stamford.
12 May 2025,6 mins
Leicester's connection to a modern nursing pioneer
Nightingale wards were named after Florence Nightingale, a pioneer of modern nursing.
01 May 2025,6 mins
The secret tunnel under Leicester Royal Infirmary
Leicester Royal Infirmary was founded as the Leicester Infirmary with 40 beds in 1771.
17 Apr 2025,6 mins
A unique collection of a British comedy genius
Leicester is the home to a unique collection from Sir Norman Wisdom’s 60-year career.
08 Apr 2025,6 mins
‘A medieval mayor and a Leicester murder scandal’
Brothers Walter and John Bushby sought sanctuary in two of Leicester’s medieval churches.
03 Apr 2025,6 mins
The ancient oak that gave ‘Gartree’ its name
The Gartree was an ancient oak where jurors handed out justice and administered taxes.
18 Mar 2025,6 mins
Why does Leicester have a Statue of Liberty?
Leicester’s copy of the Statue of Liberty was made by local sculptor Joseph Morcom.
11 Mar 2025,5 mins