Leicester Hereford Train

Leicester is a city in the East Midlands of England and county town of Leicestershire which lies on the River Soar. The city also lies at the edge of the National Forest which is an environmental project run by the national Forest Company. It is an attempt to blend ancient woodland with new plantings in order to create a new national forest. Leicester has a number of scheduled monuments which include the 15th century Belgrave Bridge, the 12th century Leicester Abbey and medieval Leicester Castle.

The city has two main shopping centres which are the Haymarket Shopping Centre and Highcross Leicester. In additional there is the smaller St Martin's Square shopping centre and Leicester Lanes where there are a number of designer and specialist shops. Leicester has a large multi cultural population and the Golden Mile is a stretch of Belgrave Road known for its authentic Indian restaurants, sari shops and jewellers.

Leicester also hosts many cultural events including the annual Pride Parade, a Caribbean Carnival which is the largest in the UK outside London, the largest Diwali celebration outside of India and one of the largest comedy festivals in the UK, the Leicester Comedy Festival. The city also has a film festival, the Leicester International Short Film Festival, which is an annual event which is held every November.

The city of Hereford, in the county of Herefordshire, straddles the banks of the River Wye and has been the commercial centre of Herefordshire farming communities for centuries. Visitors can take a leisurely stroll alongside the crystal clear waters of the River Wye or enjoy in the vibrant centre of High Town, where you can take in a show at The Courtyard Theatre. The magnificent Hereford Cathedral towers over the town. Take a moment to have a look at the stonemasons' work - the skill of these craftsmen is very evident. After exploring the cathedral make sure that you visit the Mappa Mundi, a thirteenth century map which shows Jerusalem as the center of the world. Christopher de Hamel, a leading authority on medieval manuscripts said "... it is without parallel the most important and most celebrated medieval map in any form ..." . Even though Hereford is a medieval town, it has progressed with the ages, adapting its traditional buildings to accommodate both residents and visitors alike. You can stay at anything from the most modern to the most antiquated buildings. Restaurants are plentiful with a wide range of cuisines. This really is a lovely place to stay while visiting the Marches and surrounding districts.