The Leicestershire and+ Rutland Society of Architects (LRSA) has brought back to life the "City Trail" in Leicester, a self-guided architectural walk through the city centre. The trail was first created by the LRSA in 1984 when 37 terracotta plaques were originally erected around Leicester's city centre to signpost locations of architectural and historical significance, and has now been re-instated after four decades.
Naturally, many changes have taken place over the past 40 years, as many parts of Leicester's centre were re-built, re-shaped and re-generated and some of the plaques were lost. Now, thanks to the hard work of dedicated LRSA members and the support from Leicester City Council, Ibstock Brick, and many other participants, the missing plaques have been replaced and the trail has been restored along an updated route.
Nicola Pettman, current president of the LRSA, and former president Nils Feldmann explain the purpose of the trail:
"We want everybody to be able to experience Leicester's rich architectural history at their own pace. Each of the plaques marks a vantage point from which to look back at the city and our guidebook explains how and why the city has changed around us. We will also offer free walking tours in the summer and look forward to sharing our favourite places and stories."
Ultimately, the project has been a great way to highlight the impact of motivated RIBA volunteers and the power of collaboration with your network. As you will see, as well as much desk research, it has taken close relationships with many areas of the council, sponsors, local business owners and community figures to create and then promote and support the trail. This trail is a great example of architects looking outwards from the drawing desk to enthuse others about architecture and the advantages of coming together under the organisation of RIBA. In particular there will be a lasting legacy to this work, as it remains available to future generations.
LIF funding from RIBA has been provided to LRSA for this project and for their annual Love Architecture programme of activities designed to reach out to diverse communities to bring architecture to life in creative ways.
On one of Love Architecture’s tours this October we had an enthusiastic reception to the plaques from the public. One participant, Tamara Shanks gave this feedback:
"I thought I knew my city of Leicester till I went on the City Trail with an architect who opened my eyes to the variety of architectural styles combined with a general historical view of our city. The plaques themselves are not large but perfectly formed with all that is needed to capture the interest of the passer by.
When exploring Leicester, you are directed to look up and these tiles are so placed that the pedestrian is encouraged to do just that. The architect pointed out that you should view the panorama when standing with one’s back to the tile and appreciating why they have been put in this position. I liked the fact that they are produced from local terracotta in Ibstock, a village in the county. The newly replaced missing tiles match very well the forty year old originals.
Having a local architect as our guide enhanced the trail by the addition of local information – some might say gossip – associated with various buildings and general town planning. Certainly a city tour to be recommended."
Her thoughts were echoed by Cllr Susan Barton, who sits on the city’s conservation panel, who pointed out that the "updated trail will solve the mystery of what those square terracotta plaques with the image of a fox on them, adorning some of Leicester's buildings and corners, are for. An enjoyable day or afternoon out discovering the city can be had following the trail, learning more about some of our interesting and historical buildings, while getting some exercise at the same time. Thanks to everyone who has contributed to this project".
Leicester city mayor Peter Soulsby said:
“Following this trail gives a fascinating insight into the architectural heritage of the city. The LRSA and Ibstock Brick have done a great job of restoring the distinctive brick tiles and providing a detailed and informative guide for people to follow as they look out for them. New tiles marking historical significance - such as the one on St Martins Lodge, for the discovery of King Richard III – are a very welcome addition to the trail. Others, such as those on the Globe pub, the Royal Arcade and Newarke Houses will help to draw attention to some of Leicester’s most important buildings."
Thanks to LIF funding, the LRSA will be printing a guide book showing the locations of all 37 plaques, together with descriptions of the views from each vantage point, both new and old, and commentary on how much the city scape has changed between 1984 and today.
It has also meant that a launch evening, with notable guests from across the city invited to learn more about the trail, the invaluable work of the LRSA and network with one another.
Thanks to the East Midlands Regional Engagement Partner’s contacts, there is also an app in the works, which aim to make the trail come alive for younger users, who can check in to the locations using GPS as well as giving a 21st century dimension to the project. This online trail will also open up the opportunity to advertise the plaques and the LRSA’s activities to current app users and those who might not traditionally come across this type of heritage learning. In the meantime, the City Trail LRSA 2024 guide can be downloaded from the LRSA's website at lrsa.co.uk for city centre visitors to enjoy at their leisure.
