The International Committee for the History of Technology
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See LeicesterHistorical Outline
Leicester’s history goes back to the Iron Age. The original inhabitants, the Corieltauvi tribe, gave their name to the settlement of the conquering Romans, Ratae Corieltauvorum, which prospered as a trading centre located in the junction of major trading routes. Remains of far earlier human activity have been found here, but the oldest substantial structures and artefacts revealed by archaeology are Roman. Situated where the main Roman SW-NE road, the Fosseway, crosses the river Soar, and not far from where that road crosses the SE-NW highway, Watling St – still the route of the A5 – Leicester became a flourishing town where public baths, and substantial private houses have been excavated. If the advance of the Angles reduced the town, it revived somewhat when England was partitioned between Anglo-Saxons and Danes, for Leicester was one of the Five Boroughs of the Danelaw.
In the Middle Ages, the town grew as a market for a fertile agricultural hinterland, eventually emerging as a centre of the textile industry. Knitwear was a speciality, but boots and shoes, and later light engineering made the town remarkably prosperous. A coalfield on the east side of Leicestershire provided power; in the same area, there were quarries and ironworks. Business life prospered in the city especially from the late 19th century to the early 20th century. As a result, in the 1930s Leicester – according to some per capita estimates – was one of the wealthiest cities in Europe. Immigrant communities from many parts of Europe have long been settled in the city and county. Since the 1950s, Leicester and its suburbs have absorbed much greater numbers of immigrants, predominantly from the Indian sub-continent. Their influence has been felt in almost every aspect of Leicester life – not least in reinvigorating industry, in textiles particularly. Present-day Leicester is an industrial and educational centre of nearly 300,000 inhabitants. A third of the city's workers are in manufacturing – mostly in textiles and clothing, but also in electronics, food and drink, printing and plastics. Commerce is the lifeblood of Leicester. Our famous covered market is amongst the largest in Europe and dates back seven hundred years. It is the vital heart of a trading city and a key part of our identity.
Leicester is also a thriving student city. The city’s two universities are engaged in socially-relevant research and teaching, and attract around 24,000 students. Add those at further education colleges and it means that during term time, students make up more than 12% of Leicester’s population. The University of Leicester is renowned for – among other things – the revolutionary discovery of DNA fingerprinting and for leading Europe in space research. The founder of the English parliament (1265), Simon De Montfort came from here and has given his name to the other university of the city. Consequently, ICOHTEC’s 33rd symposium will take place in a multicultural city whose history of several millennia has left traces of its evolution from every period, and of the successive cultures, which have made their home here. Communication
Leicester is located almost in the very centre of England, on M1, the main north-south trunk road and close to the M6 and the A1. The nearest airport, Nottingham East Midlands (NEMA, 40 km approx.) has flights to most major west European cities; a little further off is Birmingham International (connections to North America as well as Europe), while the secondary London airports, at Luton and Stansted are not much further. Like Birmingham they have good connections to Leicester by rail and in Luton’s case also by bus. From London Heathrow indeed, the simplest connection to Leicester is by bus. Leicester is also served by two rail lines, Midland Main Line from London to the north and Central Line linking east and west of England. From the centre of Leicester, Stamford Hall is just off London Road, which before the M1 was built was a major route to the south-east. A bus serves the halls of residence but more frequent buses run along the A6 between the city centre and railway station, and the suburb of Oadby (shops, pubs and restaurants). Useful Links
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Updated 20th 2006f March, 2006 | Printable version 