The Geography of Leicester

It is on the very eastern edge of the NationalNorthern England where it is known as the Hexam
Forest, a millennium project to recreate a greatLeicester. The Border Leicester is another well
forest in the midlands of England. The city nowknown sheep breed arising at about the same
embraces several satellite towns such as Oadby,time. Although it takes its name from Stilton in
Wigston, Forest East and Syston. The city ofCambridgeshire, Blue Stilton - The King of English
Leicester is the county town for Leicestershirecheeses - has long associations with Leicester.
and since 1997 has been a unitary authority, withWith the predominance (2) of licensed Stilton
its own local authority powers within the city.producers in Leicestershire the county claims the
Leicester city covers an area of about 7,500cheese as solely their own. The association of the
hectares giving a population density of about 38cheese with Stilton in Cambridgeshire arises from
people per hectare.it being served at a Coaching Inn in the village off
Whilst Leicester is an ancient town and settlementthe A1 (Great North Road). Significantly all four of
it was granted the status of city in 1919 by Royalthe Blue Stilton producers are within 30km (20
Charter. From 1801 to 1901 the population ofmiles) of Melton Mowbray. Melton Mowbray is, of
Leicester had grown from 17,000 to overcourse, the home of the British Pork Pie and
210,000, then in the last hundred years itagain, being protected, only a Melton Mowbray
expanded further to its present level. LeicesterPork Pie can be titled a Pork Pie. Another cheese
has 22 electoral wards but only two of thesethat originated in Leicestershire is, of course, Red
(west and east Knighton) are not in the top 50%Leicester. A harder cheese with a lower fat
of electoral wards recognised nationally as beingcontent than Stilton, it is another national
deprived areas. Leicester has three Parliamentaryfavourite.
constituencies known as Leicester East, South andClimatically, Leicester has the typical temperate
West. The MPs that currently represent Leicesterclimate of England. Surprisingly it has an average
are Keith Vaz, Sir Peter Soulsby and Patriciatemperature of only 9oC. with an average high of
Hewitt.21oC in July and August. It also has an average
Out in the county, the highest point is Farndon Hilllow of just 1oC in December and January. The
in the Charnwood forest area, which is 277mwind direction for Leicester is mainly south
above sea level. Apart from that, a few low andwesterly, bringing weather systems from the
undulating hills are all that can be seen in this areaAtlantic and North Pole.
that was eroded and flattened during the last IceThe average house price in Leicester city is
Age. Inside the city the elevation rarely gets£135, 000, with prices rising (on average)
above 200m and is on average about 150mfrom £116,000 for a terraced house to
above sea level.£247,000 for a detached property. The
Geologically it sits on the western edge of theaverage price for a flat in Leicester is
East Midlands shelf in the Trent Valley. It is mostly£125,000 giving an average property price of
covered with a bed of Mudstone and New Red£156,000. The private housing stock in
Sandstone, which were mainly laid down duringLeicester city is currently rising in value. The LE2
the Lower Lias period. To the west there are coalpost-code has properties in the range from
measures left over from the Upper Carboniferous£80,000 to £800,000 and is a
period. In the villages around Leicester, coal miningparticularly sought after area to move into. The
was once a very important industry to the localLE2 post-code area has a higher unemployment
economy. However, coal mining has all butrate, 3.7%, than the rest of Leicester at 3%.
disappeared from the area and is no longer aHowever, it also has a higher proportion of
major contributor to the local economy. Leicesteruniversity graduates at 23%, which is 4% higher
has excellent soil providing rich farming land, whichthan the rest of Leicester. With a median age of
does continue to contribute to the local economy.33, it is clearly an 'up-and-coming' area ready for
The Leicester Bluefaced sheep breed wasdevelopment. In the 5 year period 2001 to 2006
developed form the Longwool breed of sheep,house prices in Leicester rose 9% above the
specifically to provide the raw material to thenational trend in house price rises. Over 90% of all
hosiery trade that was burgeoning in Leicester inthe housing stock in Leicester already has central
the 18th Century. It is also a common sheep inheating installed.