Hat trick for Leicester’s culture and heritage Three exciting projects are set to change Leicester’s landscape and attract more visitors to the city centre. City Centre Director Sarah Harrison tells us more
P
lans are in action for the completion of three significant city centre projects that, together, will increase Leicester’s appeal to visitors beyond the county. Works are underway to improve Jewry Wall, Phoenix cinema and art centre, and Leicester Cathedral. Here’s what’s happening.
JEWRY WALL
HALEY SHARPE DESIGN (HSD)
The Jewry Wall Museum and old Vaughan College complex is undergoing a major refurbishment to depict life at the centre of Roman Britain. Leicester was a key administrative Roman centre called Ratae Corieltavorum where the Fosse Way, running from Exeter to Lincoln, met the Via Devana running from Colchester to Chester. Ratae had a forum surrounded by shops, a basilica as its administrative centre, a market hall, impressive townhouses, substantial villas and temples. The remains of a very large public bath complex are still visible at Jewry Wall.
The museum building and former Vaughan College were built in 1962 by renowned architect Trevor Dannatt. The new museum will connect both floors that were previously separate and will include a café, shop, meeting rooms and a stunning new exhibition, all overlooking the historic site of the baths. The first phase of works underway now includes a walkway to provide level access from St Nicholas Circle straight into the centre. It amounts to a complete overhaul of the building, allowing for a new roof and other improvements. The new museum will be open to visitors in 2023. As well as animating the site itself, the exhibition will use immersive technology to bring to life the stories of everyday Roman Leicester. Visitors will also be able to see the mosaics, wall plasters and other original objects found in the city and learn about the archaeological pioneers, including Kathleen Kenyon who first unearthed these amazing finds. leicestermuseums.org/jewry-wall
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