Leicester heritage trail reaches milestone

Joseph Carey Merrick was known as the Elephant Man

An outdoor heritage trail in Leicester has reached a milestone, the city council said, with 300 information panels installed on the city streets.

The scheme began in 2014 and led to research into hundreds of stories about the city which were then written up.

The panels chart the city's development from Roman times to the present day.

City mayor Sir Peter Soulsby said: "Our heritage panels take people on a journey through 2,000 years of local history."

The most recent panels to be installed include the story of how East Gates got its name and a panel commemorating the birthplace of Joseph Carey Merrick.

Mr Merrick, who was known as the Elephant Man, grew up in Leicester and toured the East Midlands as a travelling exhibit before moving to London.

The new cathedral heritage panel

A further panel reminds people of Leicester's tramway heritage at the art deco tram shelter at Western Park.

Sir Peter added: "When I proposed that we celebrated Leicester's long history with a series of heritage panels, I hoped they'd provide a useful introduction to the city's history for Leicester's growing number of visitors, while also showing those who live here how much we've got to be proud of.

"Our heritage panels... highlight the men and women who influenced life in Leicester and beyond, such as the travel pioneer Thomas Cook and the suffragette Alice Hawkins, show how new communities brought a new dimension to life in the city, and tell the stories behind the historic buildings that line our streets."

He added the city's history was "undoubtedly one of its strengths".

"As we mark the milestone of our 300th heritage panel, I hope that these easy-to-read information boards will continue to encourage people to find out more about our city's extraordinary past," he said.