Leicester is a city with a long and illustrious past; stretching from the time when the first prehistoric people passed through the area, to the rich and varied city we see today.

Highlights of this past include Leicester becoming a tribal capital in the second century AD, it being the location of the main residence of the Dukes of Lancaster in the fourteenth century, and the prosperity brought about by the hosiery industry in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

 

The City Archaeologist works to foster an understanding of the city’s past and to preserve the remains of that past, along with the evidence that they may contain.

These remains are not necessarily buried archaeological deposits, but may include the fabric of standing structures. An important part of that work is that of advising on the impact of development on archaeological remains.

Development is essential if the city is to continue to thrive, but some of that development will inevitably affect archaeological remains. Where it is believed that a development is likely to have a significant affect on important archaeological remains, the City Archaeologist will work with the developer to reconcile the need for development with the desirability of preserving the information contained with those remains. This may entail modifying the proposal to minimize the impact on any remains and/or ensuring that remains that are affected are recorded before they are destroyed.

 

Leicester has a clearly defined historic core. This is the area within of the town defences that were first established in the Roman period and readopted in the mediaeval period, along with areas outside those defences in which it is known that there were Roman cemeteries, Roman or mediaeval suburbs and mediaeval religious houses.

This historic core is defined in the City of Leicester Local Plan as the Archaeological Alert Area in order to indicate to prospective developers where development is most likely to have an impact upon archaeological remains (though archaeological remains are not confined to the Archaeological Alert Area). People coming forward with proposals for substantive development within the Archaeological Alert Area are advised to consult with the City Archaeologist.

 

The City Sites and Monuments Record is a record of all the known archaeological remains in the city. It is partly a computerised database, which incorporates the Urban Archaeological Database, and partly a paper record, with copies of all the unpublished reports generated by fieldwork in the city since the late 1980s.

Not only is it an invaluable tool for the City Archaeologist, it is also a record which is open to the public. The City Sites and Monuments Record can be viewed, by appointment, between 9am and 4pm from Monday to Friday. For further details contact the City Archaeologist.