Siege of Leicester
Who Fought
Royalist army under Charles I and Prince Rupert versus the Parliamentarian garrison of Leicester
History & Significance
Leicester is a city, unitary authority area, and the county town of Leicestershire, in the East Midlands of England. It is the largest city in the East Midlands, with a population of 388,348 in 2024. The greater Leicester urban area had a population of 559,017 in 2021, making it the 11th most populous in England, and the 13th most populous in the United Kingdom. For three years running, the annual Good Growth for Cities Index has ranked Leicester as the best place to live and work in the East Midlands. The latest study, which is based on a range of economic factors, rated Leicester as the best performing city in the East Midlands in 2024 and 20th overall out of 52 other UK cities.
The city lies on the River Soar and is approximately 90 miles (140 km) north-northwest of London, 33 miles (53 km) east-northeast of Birmingham and 21 miles (34 km) northeast of Coventry. Nottingham and Derby lie around 21 miles (34 km) to the north and northwest respectively, whilst Peterborough is located 37 miles (60 km) to the east. Leicester is close to the eastern end of the National Forest.
Leicester has a long history extending into ancient times. The site of an Iron Age oppidum, it developed into the Roman town of Ratae Corieltauvorum following the conquest. The ruins of Ratae were later settled by the Anglo-Saxons, and then captured by the Vikings who made it one of the Five Boroughs of the Danelaw. After the Norman Conquest the town came under the authority of the Beaumont and De Montfort Earls, most notably the famous rebel Simon de Montfort. After his death in 1265 the town passed to the House of Lancaster and Leicester Castle became one of their strongholds, a royal residence when the family came to the throne in 1399. Leicester therefore became an important town in the wider nation, the meeting place of the parliaments of 1318, 1414, and 1450, and a place frequently visited by the King and his court. Most famously King Richard III spent his last days in the town before his death at the Battle of Bosworth and was buried there in August 1485. In the Early Modern era Puritanism flourished in Leicester and the town was a supporter of the Parliamentarian cause in the Civil War. In the Victorian age the town became known for its hosiery and shoe manufacturing industries. It also rapidly expanded in population and size eventually gaining city status in 1919. Since the mid-20th century, immigration from countries of the British Commonwealth has seen Leicester become an ethnically diverse city, and one of the largest urban centres of the Midlands.
Leicester is at the intersection of two railway lines: the Midland Main Line and the Birmingham to London Stansted Airport line. It is also at the confluence of the M1/M69 motorways and the A6/A46 trunk routes. Leicester Cathedral is home to the new tomb of Richard III who was reburied in the cathedral in 2015 after being discovered nearby in the foundations of the lost Greyfriars chapel, more than 500 years after his death. In sporting terms, the city of Leicester is home to football club Leicester City, rugby club Leicester Tigers, basketball team Leicester Riders, the Leicester City Hockey Club, and the Leicestershire County Cricket Club. In 1996, a statue was erected in the city centre to commemorate the success of the city's sporting teams in this year. In 2016, Leicester was named as the UK's Greatest Sporting City, and in 2008, it was named as a European City of Sport.
The ground they fought on
The site of Siege of Leicester lies on Triassic Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Triassic. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone and sandstone.
The storming of Leicester on 31 May 1645 sent shockwaves through Parliament: the Royalists allegedly killed over 700 soldiers and civilians in taking the town, and the shock of this act was sufficient to persuade Parliament to order Sir Thomas Fairfax to abandon the siege of Oxford entirely and march north to bring the Royalist army to battle, setting in motion the chain of events that culminated in the Royalist destruction at Naseby.
- Over 700 soldiers and civilians reportedly killed during the storming
Frequently Asked Questions
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- Leicester · Wikipedia
- Battle of Naseby · Wikipedia