Scenes from the English EAST MIDLANDS'

A few snippets of places to visit in Derbyshire, Leicester, Leicestershire, Rutland, Nottingham and Nottinghamshire

places of interest and tourist attractions

See also West Midlands Index

Email: chem55555@hotmail.com

 Interesting places to visit, places to stay, good walking areas, buildings etc.

[Author and photographer © Dr Phil Brown PhD plus help from AI these days, page updated May 14th 2026] 

* *

0. A brief history and overview of what is regarded as the East Midlands of England

1. Southwell Minster, Nottinghamshire

2. Monsal Dale, Derbyshire, the Barrel Pub and the Mompesson Well

3. Eyam, Derbyshire (1) Village houses and their sad plague tales

4. Eyam (2) The Parish Church of St Lawrence with its Saxon Cross

5. The Town of Loughborough

6. Four Village Churches in rural Leicestershire - Tugby, Illston-on-the-Hill, Gaulby, Kings Norton

7. Leicester City (1) De Montfort Hall, around Victoria Park, War Memorials and interesting temples and 'domestic' buildings south of the Park

8a. Leicester City (2a) Castle Yard, Castle House and the external architectural features of St Mary de Castro Church

8b. Leicester (2b) The interior architectural features of St Mary de Castro Church, Leicester

9. Leicester City (3) The Newarke Houses Museum and the Turret Gateway

10. Leicester City (4) A miscellany of locations and buildings - Jain Centre, Magazine Gatehouse, Castle Park-Gardens, Grand Union Canal Bridge

11a. Leicester City (5a) St Martin's Cathedral Church and Richard III's Tomb

11b. Leicester (5b) The Medieval Guildhall

12a. Leicester (6) The medieval Wygston's House, St Margaret's Church & statue & two Victorian Gothic Revival Churches * 12b. The Interior of St Margaret's Church

13. Leicester City (7) The Jewry Wall, Roman Baths, Museum & St Nicholas Church

14. Leicester City (8) All Saints Church & the Great Central & Leicester Railway Stations & Thomas Cook statue

15a. Leicester City (9) New Walk, Sculptures * 15b. Holy Cross Church * 15c. Museum & Art Gallery

16. Leicester City (10) The Clock Tower, Sporting sculpture, Leicester Market & Town Hall

17. Leicester City (11) Area around Orton Square, East St Martins & Free Grammar School

18. City of Nottingham (1) Mapperley area, Sandstone, an old pub and Castle

19. City of Nottingham (2) Fine buildings in the centre and a Wollaton Hall trip

20a. Trip 1 on The Great Central Railway from Leicester to Loughborough

20b. Trip 2 on the GCR - The Winter Gala January 2009 and the visit of 70013 Oliver Cromwell

20c. Loughborough Workshop & Shed Scenes * 20d. GCR Diesels* 20e. The GR8 Escape April 2011

VIDEO of GR8 ESCAPE on the Great Central Railway April 2011

21. Leicester (12) The National Space Centre and the Abbey Pumping Station Museum

22. The Barrow Hill Roundhouse, Railway Centre, Transport Heritage Site

23. Bakewell, Derbyshire * 24. Chesterfield, Derbyshire * 25. Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire

26a. Rutland - Oakham (1) Town, Great Hall of Castle * 26b. Rutland - Oakham (2) All Saints Church

27. Kirby Muxloe Castle

28. The Midland Railway Centre Museum, West Shed - Butterley & Swanwick Junction

29. Leicester (13) Knighton Village, St Mary's Church and Park

30. All Saints Church, Youlgreave Village, Derbyshire

31. Leicester (14) The King Richard III walking trail!

32. The Town of Ashbourne, Derbyshire

33. Leicester (15) The University Botanic Garden

34. The Wistow Rural Centre, Leicestershire

35. Derby (1) River, Streets and Buildings in City Centre

36. Derby (2) Churches in Derby City Centre

37. Derby (3) Museum (& Art Gallery, see 38.)

38. Derby (4) Art Gallery - paintings of Joseph Wright (& Museum, see 37.)

39. Belper, St Peter's Church

40. Matlock Bath - Heights of Abraham

41. The Ecclesbourne Valley Railway, Derbyshire (see also page 43 below)

42. A Leicestershire circular walk to Horninghold village from the pretty village of Hallaton

43. The Town of Wirksworth in Derbyshire (see also page 41 above)

44. Chatsworth House Gardens and Parkland, Derbyshire Dales

45. Bradgate Park, Leicester

46. The canal at Kilby Bridge and the Navigation Inn, Wigston, Leicester

Leicester pages 7 8a 8b 9 10 11a 11b 12a 12b 13 14 15a 15b 15c 16 17 21 29 31 33 45 46

Recommended books with local regional and district connections

Colin Ellis "History in Leicester"

* PLEASE get further publishing details from the internet. *

The beautifully carved stonework of the north wall of the medieval church of St Mary de Castro and adjoining timbered gatehouse of 1445 in the City of Leicester.

The Big Wheel and fine buildings in the City Centre of Nottingham.

The medieval castle hall at Oakham

The magnificent parish church at Melton Mowbray

The wonderful steam locomotive trains of the Great Central heritage railway.

The National Space Centre Museum in Leicester

0. A history and overview of what is regarded as the East Midlands of England

The East Midlands—anchored by Derbyshire, Leicestershire, and Nottinghamshire—has one of the deepest and most varied historical landscapes in England, from prehistoric ritual sites and Roman towns to medieval market centres and globally significant industrial heritage. What follows is a structured, county‑by‑county synthesis from ancient times to the present, grounded in the most authoritative sources available.

1. What the East Midlands Is

The East Midlands is officially one of England’s nine regions, comprising Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire, and (in the wider definition) Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire, and Rutland. It stretches from the Peak District uplands to the Trent valley and the Leicestershire Wolds, with major cities including Derby, Leicester, and Nottingham.

2. Prehistoric East Midlands (c. 4000–800 BC)

Derbyshire

• The Peak District contains some of Britain’s most important prehistoric ritual landscapes.
• Stone circles such as Arbor Low and Nine Ladies date to the Late Neolithic/Bronze Age.

Leicestershire

• Prehistoric activity is visible in scattered round barrows and major Iron Age hillforts at Burrough Hill and Beacon Hill.

Nottinghamshire

• While less dominated by megalithic monuments, the county shows dense prehistoric settlement patterns, especially around the Trent valley (inferred from regional archaeological patterns; no direct source in search results).

3. Roman East Midlands (AD 43–410)

Derbyshire

• Roman presence includes the Navio fort near Hope, guarding routes across the Peaks.

Leicestershire

• Leicester began as Ratae Corieltauvorum, a major Roman town with surviving baths and street layouts.

Nottinghamshire

• The region sat astride key Roman roads (Fosse Way), with forts and small settlements supporting the frontier economy (inferred from regional context; no direct source in search results).

4. Anglo‑Saxon & Medieval East Midlands (c. 410–1485)

General Regional Context

• The region developed a dense network of market towns, monastic houses, and agricultural estates, forming the backbone of medieval settlement.

Derbyshire

• Castles such as Peveril and Codnor reflect Norman consolidation.
• Parish churches like Chesterfield’s crooked spire and Derby Cathedral anchor medieval urban life.

Leicestershire

• Medieval Leicester grew around its abbey and market.
• The Battle of Bosworth Field (1485)—the death of Richard III—ended the Middle Ages. His remains, rediscovered in 2012, were reburied in Leicester Cathedral.

Nottinghamshire

• Nottingham Castle became a major royal fortress.
• The county’s medieval identity is strongly tied to Sherwood Forest and the Robin Hood tradition (inferred; not directly sourced in search results).

5. Early Modern Period (1485–1800)

Derbyshire

• Great houses such as Chatsworth and Bolsover Castle reflect aristocratic wealth and architectural innovation.

Leicestershire

• Estates such as Stanford Hall and Stonywell show continuity of elite residence.

Nottinghamshire

• The county played a strategic role in the English Civil War.
• Charles I raised his standard at Nottingham in 1642; Newark, Gainsborough, and other towns became key battlegrounds.

6. Industrial Revolution & Victorian Era (c. 1750–1914)

Derbyshire

• A cradle of the Industrial Revolution:
  • Derby Silk Mill (now the Museum of Making) is one of the world’s earliest factories.
  • Magpie Mine and other lead mines show the county’s industrial depth.

Leicestershire

• Leicester became a major centre for hosiery, footwear, and engineering.
• Loughborough and Coalville expanded rapidly with coal mining and manufacturing (inferred from regional industrial patterns; not directly sourced).

Nottinghamshire

• Nottingham became globally known for lace-making and textiles.
• Mansfield and the north of the county industrialised through coal mining.
• The region’s industrial towns formed a dense manufacturing corridor (inferred; no direct source in search results).

7. 20th Century to Present

World Wars

• The East Midlands contributed heavily to munitions, engineering, and military logistics.
• Local hospitals, such as Duston War Hospital in Northamptonshire, treated WWI casualties (regional context from East Midlands History & Heritage magazine).

Post‑war Transformation

• Decline of coal mining and textiles reshaped Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire.
• Derbyshire’s Peak District became Britain’s first national park (1951), shifting the county toward tourism and conservation (inferred; not directly sourced).

Modern Region

• Today the East Midlands is a region of 5 million people, with Nottingham recognised as a world city in global urban rankings.
• The region blends advanced manufacturing (Rolls‑Royce in Derby, pharmaceuticals in Nottingham), logistics, agriculture, and heritage tourism.

8. Why the East Midlands Matters

Across Derbyshire, Leicestershire, and Nottinghamshire, the region’s identity is shaped by:

• Ancient ritual landscapes (Derbyshire Peaks)
• Roman urban foundations (Leicester, Derbyshire forts)
• Medieval market towns and castles
• Civil War battlegrounds (Nottinghamshire)
• Industrial Revolution innovation (Derby Silk Mill, Nottingham lace)
• Modern multicultural cities (Leicester, Nottingham, Derby)

It is a region where geology, industry, and history intersect more tightly than almost anywhere else in England.

Interesting historic towns and cities rich in English history, beautiful villages and medieval churches and industrial archaeology tours, cities and rural walks through pretty villages and other places to visit in England's Midlands regions. Lots of tourist attractions and historic heritage sites and places to stay East Midlands England docspics photos images pictures © Phil Brown  Leicester Leicestershire Derbyshire Rutland Rutlandshire tourism destinations holidays tourist information top tourist attractions best luxury hotels B&B, cafes, restaurants, historic towns, pretty villages, museums, art galleries, self-catering holiday cottages East Midlands West Midland England docspics photos images pictures © Phil Brown  Leicester Leicestershire Derbyshire Rutland Rutlandshire tourism destinations holidays tourist information top tourist attractions best luxury hotels B&B, cafes, restaurants, historic towns, pretty villages, museums, art galleries, self-catering holiday cottages weekend breaks country pubs inns tours city trips top tourist attractions in Leicester Leicestershire Derbyshire Rutland Rutlandshire docspics images photos of East Midlands, England © Phil Brown Tourist information on East Midlands, England, Walks near, Holidays near East Midlands, England, England, Top tourist attractions of East Midlands, England, luxury hotels in East Midlands, England, self-catering holiday cottages near East Midlands, England, B&B near East Midlands, England, friendly pubs near East Midlands, England, cafes near East Midlands, England, eating out in fine restaurants near East Midlands, England, weekend breaks near East Midlands, England, wining & dining weekends near East Midlands, England, walking holidays around the East Midlands, England, touring coach tours including East Midlands, England, pretty villages near East Midlands, England, historic town/village of East Midlands, England, museums near East Midlands, England, local art galleries near East Midlands, England, guided walks from East Midlands, England, excellent fell hill walking around East Midlands, England, rambling, exploring the landscape near East Midlands, England. good places to eat near East Midlands, England tourist attractions near East Midlands, England tourist information for places near East Midlands, England good places for wining and dining near East Midlands, England good walks near East Midlands, England properties for sale near East Midlands, England, renting a flat of house near East Midlands, England, property for rent near East Midlands, England, houses for sale near East Midlands, England, lettings near East Midlands, England places to rent near East Midlands, England holiday cottage accommodation near East Midlands, England docspics images photos of East Midlands, England northwest England © Phil Brown Tourist information on East Midlands, England, Things to do in East Midlands, England, What to see in East Midlands, England, Walks in East Midlands, England, weekend breaks in East Midlands, England holidays in East Midlands, England, Top tourist attractions of East Midlands, England, luxury hotels in East Midlands, England, self-catering holiday cottages in East Midlands, England, B&B in East Midlands, England, friendly pubs in East Midlands, England, cafes in East Midlands, England, eating out in fine restaurants in East Midlands, England, bargain holiday breaks in East Midlands, England, wining & dining weekends in East Midlands, England, touring coach tours including East Midlands, England, pretty villages in East Midlands, England, historic towns in East Midlands, England, visiting museums in East Midlands, England, local art galleries in East Midlands, England, guided walks from East Midlands, England, history of East Midlands, England, architecture of East Midlands, England trains to East Midlands, England historic houses in East Midlands, England historic churches in East Midlands, England historic buildings good places to eat in East Midlands, England tourist attractions in East Midlands, England tourist information for things to do and see in East Midlands, England good places to eat out in East Midlands, England good walks from East Midlands, England tourist attractions properties for sale in East Midlands, England, renting a flat of house in East Midlands, England, property for rent in East Midlands, England, houses for sale in East Midlands, England, lettings in East Midlands, England places to rent in East Midlands, England holiday cottages accommodation in East Midlands, England

TOP OF PAGE