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LEI CE STE R CI TI ZEN
THE JOURNAL OF
LEICESTER CIVIC SOCIETY
www.leicestercivicsociety.org.uk
Gordon Goode
No.40
July 2016
THE BLACK BOY. ANCIENT LEICESTER. ANNUAL DINNER. GREYFRIARS.
WEST BRIDGE STATION. STEPHENSON LIFT BRIDGE. HERITAGE OPEN DAYS.
£1 MILLION POUND STREET. PORT SUNLIGHT. CORAH. VICTORIA PARK.
JEWRY WALL MUSEUM. PLUS REGULAR FEATURES & MUCH MORE.
LEICESTER CIVIC SOCIETY
Founded 1971
Patron: Olwen Hughes MBE. M.Phil. Dip.Ed. FRSA
President: J.B. Josephs MA (Oxon.)
Vice-President: The Very Reverend Alan Warren MA
Provost Emeritus of Leicester
REGISTERED CHARITY No. 502932
MEMBER OF THE HISTORIC TOWNS FORUM
MEMBER OF THE EAST MIDLANDS ASSOCIATION OF CIVIC & HERITAGE SOCIETIES
CHAIRMAN & PUBLIC RELATIONS OFFICER: STUART BAILEY: 48 Meadow Avenue,
Loughborough LE11 1JT. 01509-266818. [email protected]
VICE-CHAIRMAN: PETER JONES: 10 Shanklin Gardens, South Knighton,
Leicester.LE2 3QJ. [email protected]
HON. SECRETARY & WEBMASTER: HOWARD WILKINS: 46 Brookside, Burbage,
Hinckley LE10 2TL. 01455-635043. [email protected]
HON. TREASURER & MEMBERSHIP SECRETARY: GORDON GOODE: 53 Cort
Crescent, Leicester, LE3 1QJ. 0116-285-6620. [email protected]
ARCHIVIST: JENNIFER MACGREGOR [email protected]
And Committee Members: HERBERT EPPEL, SUSAN EPPEL, MICHELE GOODCHILD,
ENA MARTIN, LEIGH PICCIANO MOSS, MARGARET SCOTT & STUART SIMMONDS.
CONSERVATION TEAM
STUART SIMMONDS: Conservation Officer Leicester West & Central (All Saints,
Ashleigh Road, Braunstone Village, Castle, Church Gate, Greyfriars, High Street,
Market Place, Market Street, Town Hall Square and West End CA’s)
[email protected]
ENA MARTIN: Conservation Officer Leicester South & East. (Aylestone Village,
Evington Footpath, Evington Village, Granby Street, Loughborough Road, New
Walk, Old Humberstone, St. Georges, South Highfields & Spinney Hill Park CA’s)
[email protected]
MARGARET SCOTT: Tree Officer. [email protected]
NICK KNIGHT:
Stoneygate Conservation Area Society.
DAVID HOLDING:
Belgrave Hall Conservation Area Society.
DAMIAN DEWHURST: The Knighton Society. (Knighton Village Conservation Area)
Leicester City Council Conservation Advisory Panel:
SUSAN EPPEL and NICK KNIGHT.
HERITAGE TEAM: ANN & RICHARD ALLSOP, PETER JONES, JENNIFER MACGREGOR,
LEIGH PICCIANO MOSS, TIM SAVAGE, PHIL TAYLOR & HOWARD WILKINS.
City Mayor’s Heritage Partnership: STUART BAILEY.
PUBLICATIONS and EXHIBITIONS TEAM
STUART BAILEY, GORDON GOODE, SIMON HARRIS and JENNIFER MACGREGOR.
The deadline for Leicester Citizen No.41 is Saturday 15th October 2016.
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY TEAM
HOWARD WILKINS and HERBERT EPPEL.
PICTURE CREDITS: Gordon Goode, Phil Taylor, Peter Jones, Leicester City Council, Roger Hutchinson,
British Library, Nick Knight, Patrick & Judith Robinson, Goodman UK, Wayne Asher, Jennifer Macgregor,
Tim Dodd, findthepostcard.
The opinions expressed in LEICESTER CITIZEN are not necessarily those of the editor or Leicester Civic Society.
Front Cover: Western Boulevard mosaic commemorates 14th Century foundation of Trinity Hospital
JULY to OCTOBER EVENTS DIARY
Wednesday 13 th July
08.45am: Coach tour to Tissington Hall and Carsington Water with
STONEYGATE CONSERVATION AREA SOCIETY. See handbill for details.
Saturday 16th &
Sunday 17 th July
Special Events as part of THE FESTIVAL OF BRITISH ARCHAEOLOGY at Jewry Wall
Museum. See the advertisement. There are events every day at Leicester’s premier Museum
of Archaeology & Ancient History, from Sunday 10 th to Sunday 31 st July.
Saturday 6th August
10.30am: ANCIENT LEICESTER PART II. Guided Walk with Stuart Bailey and
Jennifer Macgregor. Bookings now open. See the advertisement for full details.
Tuesday 9 th August
7.30pm: Regent Club, Regent Road: Committee meeting open to invited society members.
Contact the Hon. Secretary or Chairman if you wish to bring any matter to our attention.
ALL PLEASE NOTE THAT OUR MONTHLY MEETINGS ARE NOW
TO BE HELD ON THE SECOND TUESDAY OF EACH MONTH.
Thursday 8th to
Sunday 11th September.
HERITAGE OPEN DAYS
CIVIC SOCIETY HERITAGE EXHIBITION: ALL SAINTS CHURCH, HIGHCROSS STREET.
See advertisement for full details
Saturday 10 th September
10.30am: MILLION POUND STREET: Charles Street & the Renaissance of St. Georges:
Guided Walk with Stuart Bailey as part of 2016 Heritage Open Days.
Bookings now open See the advertisement for full details.
Tuesday 13th September
7.30pm: Regent Club, Regent Road: Committee meeting open to invited society members.
Contact the Hon. Secretary or Chairman if you wish to bring any matter to our attention.
Saturday 17 th September
PORT SUNLIGHT & THE LADY LEVER ART GALLERY: Civic Society Coach Tour.
Liable to be a popular day out. See the advertisement for full details and use the
Bookings Page. Bookings are now open.
Friday 7 th October
2016 CIVIC SOCIETY ANNUAL DINNER: 7.00 for 8.00pm.
1573 Restaurant, Highcross Street. (The historic Elizabethan Grammar School) with
pre-dinner drinks from 7.00pm at Cosy Café directly opposite. Bookings are now open.
See the advertisement and the enclosed handbill for full details.
Tuesday 11th October
7.30pm: Regent Club, Regent Road: Committee meeting open to invited society members.
Contact the Hon. Secretary or Chairman if you wish to bring any matter to our attention.
Sunday 16 th October
11.30 to 3.30pm: “FUN AT THE BATHS” with Friends of Jewry Wall Museum.
Admission Free. See the advertisement for details.
Monday 31st October
6.00 - 9.30pm. Meet the GHOSTLY ENGINEER at Abbey Pumping Station. Adults £3.00.
Advance booking essential. See the advertisement for details.
WE ARE DELIGHTED TO ANNOUNCE THAT LEICESTER GROUP MEETINGS & EVENTS OF THE VICTORIAN SOCIETY
ARE TO BE ADVERTISED IN LEICESTER CITIZEN FROM NOW ON. SEE THE ADVERTISEMENT FOR FULL DETAILS.
LEICESTER CIVIC SOCIETY SOCIAL FUND
Members are reminded of the Civic Society Social Fund. This allows you to deposit money in advance and at any time with our
Treasurer. This money will be held under your name and can then be drawn upon to pay for our events. You can pay as much
or as little as you like into the fund whenever you wish. At the present time eight members hold £50 in the fund. This may be of
use to you in saving for our prestigious evening events given that our Annual Dinner and Awards Dinner are now to be spaced
six months apart. Simply write to our Hon. Treasurer, Gordon Goode, 53 Cort Crescent Leicester LE3 1QJ. Cheques to:
“Leicester Civic Society”.
THE CHAIRMAN’S PAGE
It would be churlish of the chairman of Leicester Civic Society not to praise Leicester City Football Club
for their remarkable triumph in the sporting annals of our city, and I gladly do so. This is the second
occasion in a little over twelve months that Leicester has achieved international status and acclaim. Those
who thought that the reinternment of King Richard III was an isolated occasion were clearly wrong and
we must all work hard and look forward to our great city’s next great achievement.
There are two, what I would call ‘industries’ at work here. The first is the competitive industry, success in
which generates a high level of civic pride, bringing economic and social benefits that in turn beget an
atmosphere of inclusivity and social cohesiveness. The second is the heritage industry, success in which
also generates a high level of civic pride, in turn bringing economic and social benefits, inclusivity and
social cohesiveness. It’s always good to be a part of the winning team no matter what the occasion.
There is however a difference between sporting achievement and heritage achievement in Leicester.
Sporting achievement, no matter how welcome, is by its very nature fleeting. In football first is everything
and second nothing. Competition is ferocious, titles won one year are lost the next and in twenty years
time Jamie Vardy will be too old for this sort of thing. But ticking the heritage box has continuing, long
term implications. Leicester has now one of only five provincial cathedrals to house the tomb of a King of
England - and an internationally famous one at that. A newly refurbished and nationally important
museum of archaeology and ancient history is to be created at Jewry Wall. This will rival such museums
as St. Albans, Cirencester and York, and be an attraction on a quality par with the museums and other
features along Hadrian’s Wall. A working outlier to the National Railway Museum is to be located at the
Leicester end of the nation's only double track heritage railway, soon hopefully to be extended northwards
by a further eleven miles. NRM is the world’s largest railway museum and is keen to develop a facility for
realistic period railway working in conjunction with Great Central Railway. These are all things that will
have a major social, cultural and economic impact on Leicester for a very long time to come.
At long last Leicester has also recovered the attitude to take such things in its stride. It has recovered its
long lost civic pride. In this issue you will able to read of Connecting Leicester, The Greyfriars Heritage
Initiative, Heritage Open Days, enhanced status for the Buildings of Local Interest List, Jewry Wall
Museum, The Festival of British Archaeology and our campaign to reinstate Robert Stephenson’s Lift
Bridge, as a feature of an historic waterside that played a major role in the early years of the nation’s
railway history. Who knows - the National Railway Museum might just be interested in this as well and it
could become the next great achievement to which I refer.
Of course it’s not all sweetness and light. Arson is a serious crime, it puts human life at risk and it
deliberately trashes our historic townscape. The latest fire at Corah is indisputably arson and we defy
anyone to claim otherwise. Rescuing our industrial heritage from the dangers of arson is a major concern
and you will be able to read more of Corah in this edition. In addition, the Local Interest List is yet again
at risk with the current threat to The Black Boy. And of course we haven’t yet rescued that lift bridge. We
need to bring City Council departments, the County Council and probably outside funders together to
achieve this. It won’t be easy, persuading others to think outside the box never is, but Leicestershire
Industrial History Society and Leicester Civic Society are at least making a start.
Read on proud people of Leicester, read on.
Stuart Bailey
Members are reminded that a monthly report on our chairman’s activities is posted on the
Society website and they are welcome to read and respond to this as they wish.
THE BLACK BOY
Phil Taylor
The area around Chatham Street, York Street and Albion Street was built upon in the 1820’s as the town
spread towards the London Road. It consisted largely of small working class cottages, corner shops and
pubs. Victorian factories came later in the century and more imposing buildings fronted Granby Street.
The Black Boy on the corner of Chatham Street and Albion Street originally dated from this time. It
appears on the 1828 map. The only other surviving pubs are The Barley Mow and The Dover Castle.
The pub name Black Boy originated with the Jacobite Rebellion in 1745, “Black Boy” being a coded
reference to Bonnie Prince Charlie. It could even be older with “Black Boy” also being a coded reference
to Charles II, the King in exile from 1651 to 1660 - stuart being Old Norse for black.
In 1923 the brewery decided to completely rebuild The Black Boy as a more sophisticated town pub, with
a public bar but also aiming to attract office workers and business people. This is the pub that so many
remember. The design is something unique in Leicester, where a small rectangular site is made to contain
a building with curves. Inside there was a traditional large bar but the lounge was oval in plan, with dark
redwood panelling and a ceiling with an ornate plaster cornice with garlands of fruit and flowers. The
building is an undesignated heritage asset - it is on the Local Interest List.
In the early years of this century the pub became run down and was eventually closed. A developer
proposed a block of student flats behind the distinctive frontage, which was to be retained. Leicester Civic
Society was not keen on this but the building is only on the local list and a flexible approach to
conservation is needed. The application was given consent. However earlier this year a second proposal
was made that involved total demolition. The Society roundly condemned this and called for objections.
Within a few weeks over 700 had objected to the City Council. We have heard nothing since early March.
Following the debacle of 54-58 London Road a suspicious and very worrying pattern could be emerging.
Nothing may happen for many months. The developer will then suddenly submit an amendment that is
to all sense and purpose identical to the original application and will certainly involve loss of the heritage
asset. City Planning will then portray this as a radical improvement and attempt to force it through
Planning Committee. Only a fraction of the current 700 plus objectors will object again, believing that they
only needed to do it once. It will therefore be the duty of Leicester Civic Society to prevent this by exposing
this ploy in advance and urging all objectors to object again if and when the time comes.
YOUR GUIDE TO OUR EVENTS
LEAFY LEICESTER IN THE SPRING
LEICESTER’S ARCHITECTURE IN THE C20th
Saturday 30th April: Many thanks to Tim Savage who
led twelve walkers and a beagle (!) around Leafy
Leicester from De Montfort Square and Victoria Park
to Welford Road Cemetery and back. This was a
successful launch for this year’s season of guided
walks. Well done Tim.
Sunday 20th March: There was a good turnout for this
presentation by Howard Wilkins at Jewry Wall
Museum. Howard used an interesting selection of his
photographs to illustrate the topic.
THE 2015 CIVIC
SOCIETY AWARDS
There was a splendid turn out for this
prestigious evening event at The City
Rooms, Hotel Street on Friday 15th
April. With the recent successes of
LCB Depot, Makers Yard and now
Friars Mill, our guest of honour was
Peter Chandler, Creative Workspace
Development Manager for Leicester
City Council. Peter presented the
Restoration Award to Jamie Lewis
for the former Great Central Wagon
Works, Upperton Road, and the New
Build Award to Michaela Butter MBE,
Peter Jones
Director of the Attenborough Arts
th
Centre, for the new galleries opened This year’s lucky winners pose for the cameras at the City Rooms on Friday 15
by Sir David Attenborough in April. Left to Right: Jamie Lewis for restoration of the former GC Wagon Works
January of this year. Everyone and Michaela Butter MBE, Director of Attenborough Arts Centre for the new
galleries, Peter Chandler, our Guest of Honour and Chairman Stuart Bailey.
viewed our Awards Exhibition set up
by Peter Jones and then sat down to a delicious dinner provided by The City Rooms and way up to their usual
culinary standards. Many thanks to all concerned. We are now looking forward to the 2016 crop of nominations.
45th ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
LEICESTER HERITAGE FAIR
Wednesday 11th May: A successful meeting for the
second year running at The Presentation Suite in
City Hall, which appears to be an ideal location.
Following the necessary business session most us
went across Charles Street to the lounge at the
Ramada Hotel for drinks and some animated
conversation. This formula was voted a big success
and we look forward next year to forty-five minutes
of business followed by a relaxed hour or so of what
our chairman calls “heritage chatter”.
Saturday 28th May: Many thanks to the helpers who
turned out for our big day at Bishop Street Methodist
Church. Story of Parks, Greyfriars Heritage, Wotbox,
Iskon, Leicestershire Industrial History Society, The
Victorian Society and ourselves took part in this
year’s Fair. We had over 150 visitors to our exhibition
stand and gained several new members.
CAMBRIDGE TOUR
Saturday 14th May: We had a quick coach trip down
the A14 and members were then given seven hours
in beautiful Cambridge. They promptly scattered in
all directions. Feedback suggested that the
University Botanic Gardens, Fitzwilliam Museum,
Museum of Classical Archaeology, The Sidgwick
Museum, various churches and of course the
incomparable River Cam, were all favourite
destinations; as were a number of historic taverns.
Members voted for Bletchley Park next May but we
are all looking forward to the September Tour to Port
Sunlight and The Lady Lever Art Gallery.
WESTERN PARK-SUBURBIA EXEMPLIFIED
Saturday 18th June: Peter and Leigh are giving this
guided walk around a part of Leicester they both
love, as we go to print. We look forward to reviewing
their efforts in the next edition.
ANCIENT LEICESTER-PART II
Saturday 6th August: Part I of our stroll around
Leicester’s ancient heritage was a highlight of
Heritage Sunday last September. Now join Stuart
and Jennifer for the second half. The Medieval
Guildhall and Jewry Wall Roman Baths, with a
walking tour of Wygston House, High Cross,
Elizabethan Grammar School and Saxon Church of
St. Nicholas in between. Bookings are now open.
See the Bookings Page.
HERITAGE OPEN DAYS
Thursday 8th to Sunday 11th September: Leicester
Civic Society is participating to the full in this year’s
national festival of heritage. Following last year’s
success at the Wygston House, we shall be at All
Saints Church, Highcross Street with our Leicester
Heritage Exhibition, together with the Leicester,
Leicestershire & Rutland War Memorials at Risk Trust,
who sadly were unable to make the 2016 Heritage Fair
in May. See the advertisement for full details. We shall
also need plenty of volunteers to achieve this over the
four days. Don’t be shy!
See the advertisement and use the bookings page.
This walk is free but please book in advance as places
are limited.
PORT SUNLIGHT and
THE LADY LEVER ART GALLERY
£1MILLION POUND STREET
Saturday 17th September is the date for our longawaited late summer tour. Port Sunlight is a true
delight. Built at the end of the 19th century, the garden
village was originally constructed as a home for
workers at the nearby Lever Brothers factory. This
model village is the work of over thirty architects, and
the variety of architecture and the beauty of the
buildings is unique.
Saturday 10th September: As a part of Heritage Open
Days, Stuart Bailey is to give the guided walk,
“£1Million Pound Street - Charles Street and the
Renaissance of St. Georges” starting from the corner
of Charles Street and Humberstone Gate. This will
feature many of the buildings opening for Heritage
Open Days this year.
Completed in 1922 the Lady Lever Art Gallery was
opened to house the magnificent personal collection of
Lord Leverhulme. This includes rare and beautiful
collections of furniture, porcelain, Pre-Raphaelite
paintings and much more. Please see the back cover
advertisement and book now to avoid being
disappointed.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
SATURDAY 6th AUGUST 2016
ANCIENT LEICESTER - PART II
Photo: Leicester City Council
A Guided Walk with STUART BAILEY and JENNIFER MACGREGOR
From The Guildhall at 10.30am.
A stroll through 2,000 years of history. Medieval Guildhall, Wygston House, High Cross,
Elizabethan Grammar School, Saxon Church of St. Nicholas and Jewry Wall Roman Baths.
£4.00
2 hours 15 mins. City streets and some stairs.
SEE THE BOOKINGS PAGE
LEICESTER CIVIC SOCIETY
2016 Annual Dinner
1573
Restaurant
Highcross
Street
The Elizabethan Grammar School in 1815
FRIDAY 7th OCTOBER at 8.00pm.
Three Course Menu with Coffee £26.00
MEMBERS, FRIENDS and POTENTIAL NEW MEMBERS ARE ALL WELCOME.
PRE-DINNER DRINKS AT COSY CAFÉ, HIGHCROSS STREET FROM 7.00pm
Following feedback from members we first decided that the annual dinner and awards dinner
need to be spaced six months apart and we have now restored the former to its October slot
after an interval of many years. The Society is grateful to members who then researched venues.
The result is that 1573 is still unbeatable in terms of menu choice and quality. The cost also
remains unaltered from January 2015. The downside is that the restaurant seats sixty upstairs, so
we are unlikely to have it to ourselves. The answer of course is to fill it and we appeal to our many
members, friends and supporters to do so. Many have also expressed a wish to mingle socially
and we are lucky that Cosy Café is now open directly opposite. We shall be gathering for drinks
in Cosy Café from 7.00pm. (Or earlier!)
At 8.00pm we retire to the Elizabethan Grammar School on Highcross Street. The building dates
from 1573/74. A plaque on the wall lists donors to the project to build a free school in Leicester.
£20 from local magnate Henry Earl of Huntingdon and £10 from William Wygston are prominent
donations. Most notable however is £10 from Queen Elizabeth I. As Supreme Head of the Church
of England and true to her reputation as one who not willingly parted with money, the Queen’s
contribution appears to have been the roof from the nearby redundant church of St. Peter, as
archaeologists have detected the school roof to be far older than 1573 and to consist of matching
timbers recut to fit the 16th Century building. Once again we will therefore be dining beneath the
timber roof of one of Leicester’s lost medieval churches.
SEE THE HANDBILL FOR FULL DETAILS & BOOKING FORM
HAPPY FIRST BIRTHDAY
The Greyfriars Townscape Heritage Initiative
has had a strong start in its first year with
several projects now in progress. The fiveyear heritage-led regeneration scheme is
funded jointly by Leicester City Council and
the Heritage Lottery Fund. It is supported by
a range of partners including the Civic Society
and the city’s universities. We aim to reverse
the impact of decline in the streets to the south of the Cathedral where the remains of Richard III were
found, one of the city’s most important historic areas.
GRANT FUNDING
Repairs and restoration work are underway to properties on New Street, Friar Lane and street
improvements are due to begin on Marble Street. Excitingly, the new owners of the long-time vacant
Savings Bank on St Martins have been supported to bring the listed building back into use as serviced
apartments and a new delicatessen. This summer, Delilah’s delicatessen will open the old bank doors to
the public for the first time in over a decade. There are several grant applications in progress and an
action plan for the second year of the THI has recently been agreed.
Take a look at the THI web page for
more information on grant aided
projects or follow us on twitter
@greyfriarsophie for regular updates.
GET INVOLVED!
Volunteer support is crucial in helping
to change perceptions of the Greyfriars
area. We will be inviting volunteers to
take part in free training and research
sessions and to see what stories we
can uncover about the historic
buildings. This research will be used to
promote the old town, creating
Phil Taylor
publications on the history of the area
and helping to organise new walking
Georgian town house c1754. Corner of New Street and Friar Lane in
Greyfriars Conservation Area.
tours. Research could follow a
particular theme such as the area’s legal past, or you could pick your favourite building. If you would be
interested in taking part, please contact us at [email protected] or call 0116 454 3034. More
information is available at www.leicester.gov.uk/thi
Many thanks to Leicester Civic Society for its support and to National Lottery players for making this
scheme possible.
Sophie Noon
THI Project Officer
THE LEICESTERSHIRE
INDUSTRIAL HISTORY SOCIETY
www.lihs.org.uk
The Society plays an important part in
Leicester’s industrial heritage scene
and works closely with Leicester Civic
Society and other local societies. We
are represented on the City Council
Conservation Advisory Panel and
City Mayor’s Heritage Partnership.
Our main in-city effort at present is
associated with the Leicester &
Swannington Railway, which when it
Roger Hutchinson
opened on 17th July 1832 was only
Robert Stephenson’s lift bridge over the Leicester Navigation at Soar Island the fourth passenger railway in the
Leicester. Until recently at Snibston Discovery Park, Leicestershire Industrial world. It incorporated Glenfield
History Society and Leicester Civic Society are working together to get this
Tunnel, at 1,796 yards the longest
historically important monument reinstated over the river at Soar Island
railway tunnel in the world. This prized City Council heritage asset was purchased eventually from British Railways for £5. The tunnel and its
dozen air shafts still exists - the Leicester end unfortunately is completely buried under a housing estate but
the whole tunnel is still owned by the City Council. LIHS have a licence to conduct tours into the tunnel on
special occasions. We have safely taken over 2,500 visitors a short distance into the tunnel over the last three
years, and have published books & information about the tunnel & the railway.
At the moment we are concentrating on the site of the L&SR original station at West Bridge dating from 1832,
as opposed to the dummy platform & track section currently displayed at The Rally Park and which was
opened in the 1960’s on the much later 1893 Midland Railway station site and which is without significant
heritage value.
David Lyne
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
1876 PLATFORM AT WEST BRIDGE STATION
Leicestershire Industrial History Society are fairly confident that they have rediscovered the platform of
Leicester’s first railway station built alongside the canal at West Bridge. Examination of the Goad Insurance
Maps of 1888 show that the platform, brick built, was alongside the canal, approximately 180 feet long on the
west bank and lead northwards from the station building to a point 150 feet south of the confluence of river
and canal, opposite the public baths on Bath Lane.
It is still there! Well-built of blue brick with
a concrete sill topped with a further
course of blue bricks, or in places a
cement topping. Ideally this site should be
cleared, (only grass & undergrowth
prevail – there are no buildings) and the
site officially recognised as the site of the
first railway station in the Midlands. Yet
another feather in Leicester’s cap. It
would be good to have a couple of
benches looking over the restored Friars
Mill with another information panel to put
into context the one planned for the 1893
Rally Park site of the second station.
Looking south towards West Bridge more
David Lyne
brickwork, older than this platform and Back of the 1876 platform from the navigation towpath. Just waiting
with several interesting features can be
for the next train to arrive where the walker is to be seen above!
seen, which if investigated could lead to an advancement in knowledge of other buildings on the site and
further exploration might even lead to discovery of the foundations for the buildings that were finally destroyed
as late as 1970.
Copyright: British Library
The Goad 1888 insurance map clearly shows the 1832 West Bridge Station and its passenger platform, that was rebuilt in
1876, along with the stations at Glenfield and Ratby. The Leicester portal of Glenfield Tunnel and the new passenger station
at Rally Park, behind Tudor Road were constructed in 1893. The surviving Glenfield portal of the tunnel is the Robert
Stephenson original dating from 1832.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
STEPHENSON’S LIFT BRIDGE
Robert Stephenson’s lift bridge was this
great engineer’s unique answer to the need
to pass railway sidings over the Leicester
Navigation at Soar Island but at a level too
low to enable boats to pass beneath. Roger
Hutchinson’s superb drawing opposite
shows the lift in operation and the photo right
will be familiar to many as the bridge graced
the entrance to Snibston Discovery Park for
many years.
Following the arbitrary closure of Snibston
last year the bridge mechanism is now back
in Leicester, though the timber parts are in
need of replacement. We now have the exciting opportunity to display this important historic monument at
somewhere close to its original location.
Sidings of the West Bridge branch to serve Leicester Corporation yards to the east of the river and the
navigation, crossed the river by a traditional bridge only a few yards away from the navigation crossing. The
peers of this bridge are still intact and provide a unique opportunity to mount the lift bridge in a vandal proof
location above the river and close to its original position. An interpretation panel on the adjoining road bridge,
which is still there and which leads from Soar Island to Rally Park, would enable viewers to easily appreciate
how and where the lift bridge worked. In addition, the former track is partially intact on Soar Island, with rail
ends jutting out from the bank side immediately adjacent to the navigation towpath.
Given the proposed high quality residential development of the waterside in this area, Leicester Civic Society
and Leicestershire Industrial History Society believe that this is a chance to good to miss. Restoration of our
heritage in this location would highlight to residents and visitors the important role played by Leicester in the
early years of the nation’s railway history.
STONEYGATE CONSERVATION AREA SOCIETY
www.stoneygateconservation.org
Those of you who travel regularly along Knighton Road will probably recognise the handsome Edwardian house which sits on
the prominent corner site at its junction with Knighton Drive. It
is something of a landmark in the Stoneygate Conservation
Area and makes a distinctive contribution to the street-scene.
The house was originally named `White Cottage’ and was
built around 1902 for Charles Bernard Robinson, his wife
Lucy and their two young children Gwladys and Bevan.
Charles was the third son of C.S. and Priscilla Robinson of
`Eastfield’ and was a director of worsted spinners Whitmore &
Co. Lucy trained as a pianist and composer and had a long
and illustrious musical career, performing at the Wigmore Hall
in London and working with Vaughan Williams. She also sang
and was the organist at the Clarendon Park Congregational
Church.
`White Cottage’s design incorporated Arts and Crafts features such as rendered walls and small-paned cottage-style windows
which were popular at the time and which can also be seen in the Edwardian houses of nearby Stoneygate and Woodland
Avenues. It had a large family garden, surrounded by a fence and hedging to provide privacy, which, as you can see from the
photo of Lucy and Gwladys below, the Robinsons made good use of.
For years the building remained as a single home but in 2012 it was acquired by a developer who divided it into two; creating a
new 4-bed house with an address in Knighton Drive.
Not content with that, he also made a speculative
application to build a 3-bed bungalow on what
remained of the garden.
When it was withdrawn on the advice of officers we
hoped the threat would disappear but there seems to
be no shortage of `investors’ who still see South
Stoneygate’s distinctively green, spacious residential
character primarily as an asset that can be traded for
a quick once-only profit. In December 2015 a new
owner decided to chance his hand and a new
application was made to build on the garden; first a
two-storey house and then a `chalet bungalow’. In
answer to the question `Are there trees and hedges on
the proposed development site?’ the applicant has
bafflingly answered `No’ and has also claimed (rather disingenuously) that the new house would `respond to and reinforce
locally distinctive patterns of development’. In fact, the proposals would result in the loss of the boundary hedge, obscure the
view of `White Cottage’ and mean that a much-loved and subtle landmark corner of the conservation area would be exchanged
for a stark, uninterrupted view of a new pastiche-style building (see below) with few design merits.
To their great credit, planners recognised this and – following the advice of
the City Council’s Conservation Advisory Panel - refused consent on the
grounds of the loss of green space, adverse impact on the conservation area
and threat to the health of two of Knighton Drive’s hundred-year old Chestnut
trees.
The owner has appealed and we await the announcement of a date for the
hearing. Whenever it is, we hope that the Planning Inspectorate will trust the
good judgement of officers and be guided by local planning policies and the
Stoneygate Conservation Area Character Appraisal, rather than imposing the
development on the basis of a crude `one size fits all’ central government
template.
This seems to have been what happened in the case of `The Gables Hotel’ where the owners’ appeal was allowed by an
inspector in May. What price localism? We seem to be a very long way from it at the moment.
Nick Knight
Heritage open days 2016
LEICESTER, LEICESTERSHIRE & RUTLAND WAR MEMORIALS
AT RISK TRUST and LEICESTER CIVIC SOCIETY
Thursday 8th to Sunday 11th September
ALL SAINTS CHURCH,
HIGHCROSS STREET
+++++++++++++++++
THURSDAY 2.00 - 5.00 pm
FRIDAY 3.00 - 6.00 pm
SATURDAY 10.00 - 6.00 pm
SUNDAY 2.30 - 5.00 pm
Phil Taylor
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
HERITAGE OPEN DAYS
SATURDAY 10th SEPTEMBER 2016.
ONE MILLION POUND STREET
CHARLES STREET & THE RENAISSANCE OF ST. GEORGES
Goodman UK
A GUIDED WALK BY STUART BAILEY AT 10.30aM
FROM THE CORNER OF CHARLES STREET AND HUMBERSTONE GATE
Free walk as part of 2016 heritage open days but please book in
advance as places are limited – see the bookings page
THE SADDEST PLACE IN LEICESTER?
On 24th May 2016 the latest fire at the former Corah's
plant is yet more bad news for one of the city's most
famous industrial buildings. Corah's is - or ought to
be - important; an iconic symbol of Leicester's past
as a manufacturing colossus. A place where
thousands of people worked, laughed, cried, swore,
occasionally went on strike and often met their
soulmate. But the site has slid steadily into decline
since Corah's collapsed into the arms of an
Australian corporate raider in 1989. Although there
are still several small businesses based on the site
much of the site is derelict and open to the attentions
of vandals and arsonists.
The factory, part dating from 1865, but with 1930s
frontages on Burleys Way and St John's Street, does
appear on the council’s local heritage register,
although it is not nationally listed. And last year, the
council served a notice under section 215 of the
Town and Country Planning Act, which allows local
authorities to enforce action requiring land to be
cleaned up when its condition adversely affects the
amenity of the area. An ambitious 2008 plan, which
would have seen almost all of the site levelled to
make way for a complex including 70 apartments, a
hotel, casino, offices and shops and supermarkets
was approved by the council in 2010. Nothing
happened; like a lot of such schemes the post-crash
recession killed it.
And then, despite the return of some small business,
dereliction set in. An April 2012 fire substantially
damaged part of the building, and the following year
the Council enforced a ban on the use of the rear of
the works as public parking.
In London, such a building would have been
converted to apartments years ago, with much of the
historic fabric retained. But the fate of Corah's starkly
illustrates the problems faced in large provincial
cities looking for new uses for old buildings. A
conversion would be hugely expensive, partly due to
the vast size of the former factory. These costs would
be only slightly less than those applying in London
as materials cost pretty much the same everywhere.
But much lower property prices mean the resale
value of the conversion would be dramatically less hence the profit would be dramatically less too.
Wayne Asher
1865 main factory at Corah, hidden in a huge square off
St. John’s Street. The site is potentially attractive and ripe
for restoration and development as an urban village.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
VICTORIA PARK
The proposed processional way from Victoria Park
Gates to the War Memorial is fully supported by
Leicester Civic Society, however there has been
mayhem over the loss of trees, ostensibly as part of
this project. The original planning consent specified
71 trees to be felled and 49 planted as part of the
processional route - and more planted elsewhere
around the park. Apparently it was then felt that
some of the trees to the front of De Montfort Hall
would not survive the construction period, and
because they were relatively young and immature
specimens, it would be better in the long term to
remove them. Many of these trees would have
required future removal anyway because the area
would need thinning to allow other trees to grow
effectively. This is a standard practice of tree
management.
The next application included a plan indicating the
areas of tree removal. This was for 84 trees, 13 more
than originally stipulated for the reason given above.
However, there would now be 79 new trees planted
as part of the processional route, works along
Granville Road and to the front of De Montfort Hall
instead of the 49 stipulated in the original planning
application. This is a nett loss of five trees and we
have written asking that this shortfall be made good.
In addition, there have been 25 trees already planted
elsewhere around the park in January and February
this year. There are lessons to be learned:
To a developer this might easily look an uneconomic
proposition, especially as conversion attracts VAT,
unlike new builds. This is partly why developers
prefer to knock down old buildings and replace them
with modern tat entirely out of sympathy with the
local cityscape.
1.The original application attracted three comments,
all in favour. There is no point in potential objectors
saying nothing and then violently objecting nearly
two years afterwards. Everyone worried about trees
should study all such applications thoroughly. This is
one reason why the Civic Society has now appointed
a tree officer with effect from May 2015.
And now there has been another fire, like the first,
probably started deliberately. Citizens should take
the chance to wander around what is left of one of
Leicester's great factories while they can. At this rate
it won't be there for ever.
Wayne Asher
2. Variations in numbers to be felled or planted, for
whatever good reasons, without either seeking a
new planning consent or at least explaining the
situation to the stakeholders who commented is
sloppy. Ready acceptance of this as a condition
fulfilment by City Planning is also sloppy.
THE VICTORIAN SOCIETY
- LEICESTER GROUP
SUMMER & AUTUMN PROGRAMME 2016
Tuesday 23rd August. 2.00 PM
Afternoon Guided Walk: Welford Road Cemetery. £5.00
Tuesday 6th September. 7.00 PM
Evening Visit: National Gas Museum: Aylestone Rd. £5.00
Advance booking for the above please, space is limited: Contact Carol Face: 0116-287-5946.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Evening Lectures: Bishop Street Methodist Church at 7.30 PM. £2.50
Tuesday 4th October
“Lutyens in Leicester: The Victoria Park War Memorial:”
Elizabeth Blood
Tuesday 1st November
“The Temperance Hall and Thomas Cook’s Hotel”
Neil Crutchley
3. Leaving cut trunks and stumps lying around to
alarm the general public - and delight Leicester
Mercury photographers - was an own goal.
4. As we have noted before, City Council officers
(particularly in Planning and Urban Design) tend to
treat trees as items of street furniture not living things
and therefore continually underestimate the level of
public concern.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
IT COULDN’T HAPPEN HERE!
The Local Government Ombudsman (LGO) has
urged Northampton Borough Council to provide
conservation training for its planning officers after
accusing the authority of failing to apply the correct
law and guidance in regard to heritage assets. The
LGO report said the Council failed to consult Historic
England, failed to record pre-application advice and
validated an application without the necessary
information. The LGO investigation looked at the
Council’s handling of plans for a café extension in a
conservation area. The Borough’s conservation
officer recommended amendments to improve the
design and reduce its impact on the listed building
and the conservation area but planning officers
omitted them and recommended approval. The
planning officers also incorrectly referred to the Town
& Country Planning Act rather than the Planning
(Listed Buildings & Conservation Areas) Act in
reaching their decision.
Journal of the Royal Town Planning institute
WOLSEY ISLAND
An application has been made to redevelop a derelict
area of Leicester’s historic waterside at the northern
half of Wolsey Island on the River Soar. It is
proposed to create quality riverside housing, whilst
retaining the Wolsey factory chimney and 1909 water
tower as features of the development. Both of these
are on the Local Interest List. A smaller chimney is
also locally listed but this would be sacrificed. The
three structures are included on the Register as
being of group value and Leicester Civic Society
would normally oppose any losses. However, in this
case we believe that rescue from dereliction and
restoration of the principal chimney and water tower
outweigh the loss of the smaller chimney.
Jennifer Macgregor
View across Wolsey Island to the Wolsey Water Tower
and the National Space Centre across the river beyond.
This area is a considerable eyesore and is a danger to
children tempted to play, as there are hidden cellars and
plies of old concrete masonry following demolition.
BUILDINGS OF LOCAL INTEREST
The Leicester Register of Un-Designated Heritage
Assets (The Local Interest List) appeared finally in
December 2014. It is the ambition of the City Council
to publish this in detailed format and at two entries
per page this runs to 232 pages. In April of this year
we proof read the draft document, commenting on 60
entries spread over eleven wards, and submitted 17
new photographs. We now urge that the Council
publish. This detailed text will compliment that of the
statutory list and will be an invaluable tool.
Following on from this we met with the City Mayor on
20th April and some momentous decisions were
taken in respect of the Register. It was agreed that:
1.Whereas there are currently three such properties
subject to ‘Article 4 Directions’, which remove
permitted development rights in respect of such
things as demolition, a further 236 buildings (62% of
the Register) be made subject to Article 4 Directions.
2. The remaining 141 structures on the Register are
not to be subject to Article 4. These include nonhabitable structures such as railway bridges, canal
locks, bandstands and also City Council owned
properties and properties subject to current planning
applications.
Although Article 4 Direction doesn’t prevent loss, it
prevents casual loss and is therefore a major step
forward in the protection of our historic environment.
monument, is such that a thorough archaeological
investigation must be carried out before work can
start. This will be led by Dr. Richard Buckley of
University of Leicester Archaeological Services, who
led the search for the remains of King Richard III in
2012. Improvements will also be made to the
museum itself to make it better equipped to tell the
story of Roman Leicester.
Leicester City Mayor Sir Peter Soulsby, announced
the package of improvements on the evening of
Friday 4th March at a special event in the museum to
celebrate its 50th anniversary. Sir Peter said:
“Jewry Wall is one of the finest examples of Roman
masonry in Britain and a very important part of
Leicester, one of the few towns and cities whose
history can be traced back over 2,000 years. The
museum celebrates its 50th anniversary tonight but
the building is looking tired and outdated. Much of
what is a fascinating and beautiful site is tucked
away with difficulty of access. We recently
purchased Vaughan College and we are keen to
make better use of this as part of these plans. Jewry
Wall is unique and should be a major landmark in our
city. I want these works to ensure that this splendid
museum and the ruins of this great Roman Baths are
more accessible and appealing to visitors of all ages,
and that they play an enhanced role in public
education about Leicester’s Roman past.”
The City Council is to be congratulated.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
JEWRY WALL MUSEUM
A £1.5 Million refurbishment of Leicester’s Jewry
Wall Museum has been announced, along with a
new archaeological investigation into this
remarkable Roman site. Leicester City Council has
outlined plans to improve the museum, first opened
on 4th March 1966 and which sits next to the UK’s
largest surviving piece of Roman civic masonry. The
aim is to make the museum easily accessible for the
21st Century.
The plan includes the creation of a level access
walkway from the ancient Holy Bones (recently St
Nicholas Walk), the passage between the C2nd
Jewry Wall and the Saxon Church of Saint Nicholas,
and the balcony entrance to the former Vaughan
College, which was purchased by the City last
September. A new internal staircase and lifts will link
the ground floor of the college with the museum
below. Holy Bones itself will be restored to reveal the
cobbled surface which has been partially hidden
beneath modern asphalt. The historic significance of
the site, the whole of which is a scheduled ancient
Leicester City Council
Artist’s impression of the access to be constructed
between the Saxon Church of St. Nicholas and the new
Jewry Wall Museum entrance.
But the improvements could now be taken a step
further, with ambitious plans to radically improve the
museum buildings and ancient archaeological site
and the interpretive material housed inside them.
The City Council is in the process of choosing
museum design experts to draw up proposals to
combine and improve the existing Museum and the
Vaughan College buildings. Based on the sorts of
costs typically required to create a world-class visitor
attraction, these improvements could cost £5 Million
and would be expected to at least triple the number
of visitors. Worked-up designs are expected by the
autumn, at which point the Council will decide
whether to proceed, including an assessment of the
potential for significant external funding.
THE FESTIVAL OF BRITISH ARCHAEOLOGY.
JEWRY WALL MUSEUM: 10th – 31st JULY MMXVI
The City Rooms is a historic
Grade One listed building,
conveniently located in the
City Centre of Leicester.
It offers a delightfully grand
setting, available for meetings and
celebrations large and small in
one of our newly restored
function rooms.
The City Rooms
Hotel Street
LEICESTER LE1 5AW
T: 0116 251 5337
F: 0116 262 1845
[email protected]
www.thecityrooms.co.uk
FUN AT THE BATHS!
Sunday 16th October. Jewry Wall Museum
11.30 - 3.30pm. Admission Free
ABBEY
PUMPING STATION
THE GHOSTLY ENGINEER!
MONDAY 31st OCTOBER 2016
6.00 - 9.30pm
Are you brave enough to take the
spooky tour in the eerie engine house
basement and hear the tragic tale of
Robert Richardson, The Ghostly
Engineer, while one of the museum’s
massive beam engines is in steam right
above your head? Wrap up warm and
wear sensible shoes as the basement
can be damp and has steep steps.
All tickets should be pre-booked for this
ever popular event to avoid
disappointment. 1162-995-111
ANCIENT FUN AND GAMES WITH THE
FRIENDS OF JEWRY WALL MUSEUM.
ALL DAY FUN FOR ALL THE FAMILY!
Museum Admission Free.
Pre-Booked Tours £3.00
(Not suitable for under 10’s)
THE BOOKINGS PAGE (Please copy this page or write to us if you do not want to cut your Journal)
ADVANCE BOOKING PLEASE FOR ALL EVENTS: STUART BAILEY,
48 MEADOW AVENUE, LOUGHBOROUGH, LEICESTERSHIRE LE11 1JT.
CHEQUES PAYABLE TO “LEICESTER CIVIC SOCIETY”.
PLEASE RESERVE ________ PLACES ON THE GUIDED WALK
“ANCIENT LEICESTER - PART II” ON SATURDAY 6th AUGUST 2016.
I ENCLOSE ______________ IN FULL PAYMENT (£4.00 PER PERSON)
NAME_________________________________________________________________________
ADDRESS_____________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________POSTCODE____________________
PLEASE RESERVE ________ PLACES ON THE GUIDED WALK “MILLION POUND STREET”
ON SATURDAY 10th SEPTEMBER 2016.
THIS WALK IS BEING GIVEN FREE AS PART OF 2016 HERITAGE OPEN DAYS BUT PLEASE
BOOK IN ADVANCE AS PLACES ARE LIMITED.
NAME_________________________________________________________________________
ADDRESS_____________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________POSTCODE____________________
PLEASE RESERVE _______PLACES ON THE DAY COACH TOUR TO PORT SUNLIGHT &
THE LADY LEVER ART GALLERY ON SATURDAY 17th SEPTEMBER 2015.
I ENCLOSE _____________IN FULL PAYMENT. (SEE ADVERTISEMENT ON BACK PAGE)
I/WE WILL JOIN THE COACH AT__________________________________________ ________
NAME_________________________________________________________________________
ADDRESS_____________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________POSTCODE____________________
MORE DATES FOR YOUR DIARY
Advance notice is given for the following events, which
will be advertised in Leicester Citizen No. 41, due to be
published on Tuesday 1st November, and on the
Society’s website.
Saturday 31st December: Guided Walk “Victorian
Leicester at Christmas Time”. £4.00. You can book for
this now if you like.
Friday 27th January 2017: “Mid-Winter Meet Up”. (This
is a working title which may change if you can suggest
something catchier) Upstairs at The Globe is
suggested for a relaxed social evening with a buffet.
Tuesday 28th February: Publication of Leicester Citizen
No.42.
Friday 31st March: Provisional date for the traditional
annual skittles match with Wigston Civic Society. This
year in Wigston.
LEICESTER CIVIC SOCIETY COACH TOURS
SATURDAY 17th SEPTEMBER 2016
PORT SUNLIGHT AND
THE LADY LEVER ART GALLERY
Findthepostcard
Port Sunlight is a true delight. Built at the end of the 19th century, the garden village was originally
constructed as a home for workers at the nearby Lever Brothers factory. This model village is the work
of over thirty architects, and the variety of architecture and the beauty of the buildings is unique.
Completed in 1922 the Lady Lever Art Gallery was opened to house the magnificent personal collection
of Lord Leverhulme. It was named in memory of his wife.
Port Sunlight is a beautiful village to visit. Any walk around affords views of some of the most exciting
village architecture of 19th century England. With each block of houses designed by a different architect,
Port Sunlight provides visitors with a charming and interesting day out. At the centre of the village are
two of the best attractions, the Lady Lever Art Gallery, and the Port Sunlight Museum and Garden Village.
The Lady Lever Art Gallery is world famous for its collections, including outstanding furniture, the finest
collection of Wedgwood jasperware in the UK, and famous works of art, including many paintings of the
Pre-Raphaelites and the work of Gainsborough, Stubbs, and Millais, together with dramatic masterpieces
by Constable and Turner.
COACH DEPARTS:
HUMBERSTONE GATE (Secular Hall)
NARBOROUGH ROAD (Premier Inn)
RETURNING AT:
FULL FARE:
CONCESSION:
8.20am
8.30am
6.40 and 6.50pm
£28.00
£26.00
(MEMBERS: £26.00)
(MEMBERS: £24.00) Senior Citizens, Students
and unwaged.
DISCOUNTS FOR MEMBERS - SEE THE BOOKINGS PAGE