Leisure Activities
Taking part in sports, cultural or outdoor activities can help you to meet people, relax, and understand the history, culture and natural environment of the area. Towns often have sports and arts facilities such as leisure centres, swimming pools, museums, concert venues and art galleries, and there are many local clubs for sports and other activities.
The National Trust, an organisation established to preserve England's countryside and heritage, owns 2 properties in Leicestershire - Staunton Harold Church and Ulverscroft Nature Reserve. There are a further 23 National Trust properties and locations in the East Leicestershire to the North West.
The National Forest covers three counties in central England, including the North West of Leicestershire. This is an area in which new woodlands are being created and the countryside is being transformed for the benefit of wildlife, the environment and local communities. There are many visitor attractions in the National Forest area and further details can be found on their website.
There are a great many other areas to visit in the Leicestershire countryside and towns. Highlights include a number of country parks, Foxton Locks to the South of the County (close to Market Harborough), museums in Loughborough, Market Harborough and Melton Mowbray (amongst others), the Snibston Discovery Park in Coalville and the historic site of the Bosworth Battlefield mentioned in Part A - General Information about Leicestershire.
The County Council website is a useful first port of call for information, as is the City Council website for venues and leisure opportunities in Leicester City.
The Go Leicestershire website contains information on all of these, as well as details on restaurants, pubs and clubs, festivals and other forms of entertainment, activities and venues for children (including Twin Lakes, a theme park on the outskirts of Melton Mowbray), and shopping centres and opportunities. Unsurprisingly, the City of Leicester is particularly popular for shopping. The Shires Shopping Centre is in the heart of the City, whilst Fosse Park remains a popular shopping outlet on the edge of the city near to the M1 and M69 motorway junctions. However, in other parts of the City as in all the County towns, you will find major High Street stores as well as smaller stores and small boutiques catering for a variety of tastes.
Fishing requires a licence, and permission from the lake or river owner (in Scotland this permission must be in writing). There are many bylaws (rules) regarding fishing. For example, anglers must return to the water all salmon caught in England and Wales before 16th June each year, and they cannot use crayfish as bait. For full details visit www.environment-agency.gov.subjects/fish.uk/
Libraries are also a very useful source of information on leisure outlets and opportunities. For contact information see the libraries section.