🇬🇧【UK Hidden Gem 44】Leicester One-Day Travel Guide

Leicester is a city in central England, just over an hour away from London by train 🚆, and home to the UK's National Space Centre. National Space Centre 🚀 Located in the northern part of the city, accessible by direct bus. The museum displays Soviet manned spacecraft, American rockets, and British astronaut suits. It’s impressive how the British acquired these exhibits—even though most of the big items aren’t their own! A must-visit for aerospace enthusiasts and families with kids 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦. Opposite the museum is the Industrial Museum (a huge pump house), though it was closed when I visited—not sure why 🏭. 📍Location: LN4 5NS City Centre 🏙️ The downtown area centers around the Haymarket Clock Tower 🕰️, with commercial districts spreading out in all directions. Also here are Leicester Cathedral and the exhibition of Richard III’s tomb (the unlucky king buried under a parking lot and discovered through metaphysical methods!). Newarke Houses Museum & Castle 🏰 Situated on the western side of the city, the castle now consists mainly of ruins and fragmented walls. The museum, located at the foot of the castle hill, showcases military-related collections, including a unique model cannon carriage with a tiger head specimen 🐅. 📍Location: LE2 7BY 📚 4. University of Leicester 🎓 Located in the eastern part of the city, accessible by direct bus. The campus blends old and new architecture, perched on a hill with beautiful views 🌳. 🏺 5. Leicester Museum 🖼️ Near the train station, this compact yet comprehensive museum includes natural history, historical, Egyptian, art gallery, and immigration halls. Who knows how much Egyptian culture has propped up British museums? Here, a pair of sibling mummies are displayed with their coffins fully dissected layer by layer, revealing the skin beneath the bandages—I’ll just share a distantly taken photo 📸. The art gallery features distinctive oil paintings, while the modern art section doubles as a sales exhibition—a creative way for the museum to generate revenue! Additionally, the museum once served as a settlement for colonial immigrants, hence the dedicated immigration exhibition. Highly recommended! 📍Location: LE1 7EA 🚌 Transport Tip: Consider purchasing a daily bus pass for unlimited travel 🎫. This is especially useful for getting to the National Space Centre and saving energy when visiting the University of Leicester. If arriving by train, buying a PlusBus ticket at the station window can be cheaper! 📢 Ongoing updates for three series: Hidden Gems in the UK 🏰 Treasure Hunting in the UK 🧸 Lesser-Known European Travel Notes ✈️ Welcome fellow travel, museum, history, collection, and "junk collecting" enthusiasts to follow and exchange ideas! #HiddenGems #Museum #OffTheBeatenPath #WorthVisiting #FamilyFriendly #Travel