Leicestershire

Leicestershire is located in central England and covers an area of 832 square miles and has a population of nearly 900,000 The county seat is Leicester.

Industry

The western part of the county is mainly used for industrial uses and mining. The main industrial areas are Leicester, Loughborough and Hinckley. Stilton cheese is a well-known dairy product of the region and two famous producers are at Long Clawston and Colleston Bassett and are probably the finest producers of the cheese. The county has many famous houses, gardens and attractions and a thriving tourist economy.

Geography

The main rivers are the Soar and the Wreak, with the Welland forming part of the southern boundary with Northamptonshire The eastern part of the county is very rural with fertile soil used for mixed farming.

History

Leicestershire was part of the kingdom of Mercia and subsequently one of the Five Boroughs of the Danelaw based upon Leicester itself. The village names reflect this mixed Anglo-Saxon and Danish heritage. Simon De Montfort, the earl of Leicester led the barons who forced King John to sign the Magna Carta at Runneymead in 1215. His name and arms are still known and used in Leicester. Richard III, last of the Plantagenet Kings, was defeated and killed by the forces of Henry Tudor in 1485 at the Battle of Bosworth Field in Leicestershire.