County Dossier
Leicestershire
Midland county: Roman roads meet medieval markets.
Leicestershire is a Midland county with a rich history. Leicester, on the River Soar, blends Roman, Viking, and medieval heritage within a substantial modern city.
At a glance
Leicestershire at a glance
Midland county: Roman roads meet medieval markets.
- Roman Leicester
- Established by 10th C
- Market towns, Roman roads
- Area: 836 sq miles / 2,165 sq km
- Population: 975,403
- County Top: Bardon Hill (912ft / 278m)
County Geography
Leicestershire meets Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Lincolnshire, Rutland, Northamptonshire, Warwickshire, and Staffordshire. Its county shape is organised by the Soar basin, the Charnwood upland, and the open Midland country around them.
Leicester, the Soar, and the market-town ring give Leicestershire a strong internal centre.
Map Reference
View Leicestershire on the map
Leicestershire is the county. The map also shows lieutenancies and council areas that use the county name.
The county.
The lieutenancy.
Council areas.
Places and routes
Leicester, Loughborough, Melton Mowbray, Market Harborough, and Ashby-de-la-Zouch show the county from central city and northern approach to eastern market country, southern crossing-point, and north-west edge. Together they explain the county’s spread and balance.
Connections
Leicestershire’s routes have long converged on Leicester and then run outward through vale, market country, and the Charnwood side. Movement follows the county’s central city, river, and upland pattern.
Names
- Leicestershire
- County of Leicester
- Leics
County of Leicester is the formal historical style. Leicestershire is the established county name, while Leics is only a shortened form.
Leicestershire appears in Domesday through its hundred structure, but the county’s roots are older in the Leicester-centred shire.