# Leicester

> city in Leicestershire, East Midlands, England

**Wikidata**: [Q83065](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q83065)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leicester)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/leicester

## Summary

Leicester is a place in the United Kingdom. English is its official language. Its head of government is Peter Soulsby.[1]Its population was 369k in 2021.[2] It has an area of 73.3. Its elevation is 67.It is in the UTC±00:00 time zone.

## Summary
Leicester is a city in the county of Leicestershire in the East Midlands of England, United Kingdom. It is classified as a county town and a big city, with an official 2021 census population of 368,600 and a civic mayor, Peter Soulsby (in office since 2011).

## Key Facts
- Official name: Leicester.
- Description: city in Leicestershire, East Midlands, England.
- Instance of: county town; big city.
- Country: United Kingdom (qualifier: part of Kingdom of England until 1707).
- Coordinates: 52.63611111111111° N, −1.1330555555555555° W.
- Area: two recorded values — 73.32 (unit indicated) and 92.0 (preferred).
- Population: 329,839 (2011 census); 337,653 (2014 estimate); 368,600 (2021 census, preferred).
- Elevation above sea level: 67 metres.
- Head of government: Peter Soulsby (start time 2011).
- Official language: English.
- Postal code range: LE1–LE67.
- Timezone: (referenced to  in source).
- NUTS code: UKF21 (start time 1999-01-01).
- HASC code: GB.LC.
- TOID: 4000000074560267.
- WOEID: 26062.
- Geonames ID: 2644668.
- Freebase ID: /m/0dhdp.
- MusicBrainz area ID: 806b9b3b-5daf-4eaa-807d-7a2a29cde0da.
- OpenStreetMap node id: 10021976.
- Who's On First id: 101750485.
- GNS unique feature id: -2600961.
- OpenDomesday settlement id: SK5804/leicester.
- KEPN id: Leicestershire/Leicester.
- Website: https://leicester.gov.uk.
- Public image assets: montage image and page banner on Wikimedia Commons (Leicester_landmarks_montage.jpg; Leicester_Wikivoyage_banner.jpg).
- Coat of arms image: Coat_of_Arms_of_Leicester_City_Council.svg (Commons).
- Social media followers (handle "leicester"): 54,770 (point in time 2023-05-24, preferred).
- Aliases / names in other languages: Leicester; Leicester, England; レスター・ギャラリーズ; 莱切斯特郡; 莱切斯特; Лейчестер; لايستر.
- Sitelink count (Wikidata): 114.

## FAQs
Q: Where is Leicester located?
A: Leicester is in the county of Leicestershire in the East Midlands region of England, United Kingdom, at latitude 52.636111° N and longitude −1.133056° W.

Q: What is Leicester’s population and area?
A: The preferred 2021 census population is 368,600. Two area figures are recorded; 92.0 (preferred) and 73.32 (other source).

Q: Who governs Leicester?
A: The head of government is Peter Soulsby, who has served since 2011. The city maintains an official website at https://leicester.gov.uk.

Q: What are Leicester’s administrative and classification types?
A: Leicester is classified as a city, a county town (the administrative centre type used in the UK/Ireland), and a big city (a city with population at least 100,000).

Q: Which notable organisations and companies are based in Leicester?
A: Headquarters or major presences in Leicester include Leicester City F.C., Leicester Tigers, Walkers (snack manufacturer, inception 1948), Next plc (headquarters indicated as ), Alliance & Leicester (inception 1997), Cooke Optics, Gola (inception 1905), Admiral Sports (inception 1914), and others listed in connected entities.

Q: What major cultural and visitor attractions are in Leicester?
A: The National Space Centre (inception 2001, located in Belgrave, Leicester), Curve theatre (inception 2008), Leicester Arena (inception 2016), Leicester Museum & Art Gallery, and Leicester Market are among notable attractions.

Q: Does Leicester have international relationships?
A: Yes. Recorded twinned administrative bodies include Chongqing, Haskovo (partnership start 2005-11-15), Krefeld, Strasbourg, and Rajkot.

Q: What transport and historical infrastructure are recorded for Leicester?
A: Leicester railway station is recorded as a railway station in Leicestershire. Filbert Street is recorded as the football ground of Leicester City from 1891 to 2002. OpenDomesday and other geospatial identifiers are available.

Q: What languages and identifiers are associated with Leicester?
A: The official language is English. Multiple identifiers exist across authority files and databases (e.g., VIAF 127852195; Geonames 2644668; Freebase /m/0dhdp; MusicBrainz area id 806b9b3b-...).

## Why It Matters
Leicester functions as a regional administrative and economic centre in the East Midlands and is significant for multiple overlapping reasons. As a county town and a big city, it concentrates local government, public services and civic leadership (mayoral governance under Peter Soulsby). It hosts national cultural infrastructure such as the National Space Centre and prominent performing arts venues (Curve theatre), which serve both regional audiences and national tourism. Leicester is a base for commercial and manufacturing activity, with companies and brands (Walkers, Next plc, Cooke Optics, Admiral Sports, Gola and others) recorded as headquartered or having key presences there; this contributes to local employment and national industry supply chains. The city is also a focal point for English sport and community identity through clubs like Leicester City F.C., Leicester Tigers (rugby union), and Leicester Riders (basketball), giving it high visibility in national competitions. Historic associations — for example the Greyfriars site connected to Richard III and the long-standing Leicester Abbey — add archaeological and heritage significance. Geopolitically, Leicester’s twinning with cities such as Chongqing and Strasbourg links it into international cultural and municipal networks. Finally, Leicester’s comprehensive set of authoritative identifiers and records across encyclopedias, libraries, and mapping services demonstrates its established role in public data, research and civic administration.

## Notable For
- Being a county town and a large urban centre (big city) in Leicestershire and the East Midlands.
- Population growth recorded to a preferred 2021 census total of 368,600.
- Hosting major sports organisations: Leicester City F.C. (inception 1884) and Leicester Tigers (inception 1880).
- Home to national visitor attractions including the National Space Centre (inception 2001).
- Several notable headquarters and manufacturing presences: Walkers (inception 1948), Gola (inception 1905), Admiral Sports (inception 1914), Cooke Optics (inception 1888), Next plc (headquarters recorded as Leicester).
- Cultural venues: Curve theatre (inception 2008) and Leicester Arena (inception 2016).
- Long historical sites: Leicester Abbey (inception recorded 1101), Greyfriars, Leicester (inception recorded 1201) — ties to historic events such as the exhumation of Richard III (2012 archaeological event recorded in the city context).
- Transport and sporting heritage: Filbert Street served as Leicester City’s football ground from 1891 to 2002.
- Broad presence in databases and authority files (VIAF, Freebase, Geonames, MusicBrainz, WOEID, OpenStreetMap, etc.), facilitating research and data integration.

## Body

### Geography & Location
- Leicester is in Leicestershire, East Midlands, England, located in the United Kingdom. The source records its earlier political context as part of the Kingdom of England up to 1707.
- Coordinates: latitude 52.63611111111111, longitude −1.1330555555555555.
- Elevation above sea level is recorded as 67 metres.
- Area is recorded with two values: 73.32 (unit indicated in source) and 92.0 (the 92.0 figure is marked preferred in the provided data).
- The NUTS statistical region code for Leicester is UKF21 (effective from 1999-01-01).
- HASC code given as GB.LC and TOID recorded as 4000000074560267.
- Postal code range for Leicester is LE1–LE67.
- OpenStreetMap node id for Leicester: 10021976.

### Demographics & Language
- Population entries:
  - 329,839 (point in time 2011; determination method: census).
  - 337,653 (point in time 2014).
  - 368,600 (point in time 2021; determination method: census; this is the preferred population figure).
- The official language recorded for Leicester is English.
- Social media metric: a recorded followers count for the "leicester" handle of 54,770 at point in time 2023-05-24.

### Governance & Administrative Status
- Leicester’s head of government is Peter Soulsby, with a start time recorded as 2011 and a reference to the Leicester city mayor page.
- Instance/classification entries identify Leicester as a county town (the UK/Ireland term for a county’s administrative centre) and a big city (a city with a population of at least 100,000).
- The city maintains an official website: https://leicester.gov.uk.
- The city is linked to administrative subdivisions and datasets through identifiers such as KEPN id (Leicestershire/Leicester), UK Parliament thesaurus id 11294 (qualifier Leicester), and other cataloguing references.

### History & Heritage
- Historical institutional entries recorded in the source include:
  - Leicester Abbey — Grade I listed building with an inception date recorded as 1101-01-17.
  - Greyfriars, Leicester — Franciscan friary with an inception date recorded as 1201-01-17 and noted as the original burial place of Richard III of England.
  - The exhumation of Richard III (2012 archaeological event) is listed among items located in/origin that associate with the city.
- Filbert Street is recorded as Leicester City’s football ground from 1891 to 2002.

### Economy, Industry & Major Employers
- Several companies and organizations are recorded with headquarters or major presence in Leicester:
  - Walkers — British snack food manufacturer, inception 1948; recorded with headquarters  (Leicester).
  - Next plc — British retailer, inception 1982; headquarters recorded as  (Leicester).
  - Alliance & Leicester — company, inception recorded 1997; headquarters recorded as .
  - Cooke Optics — British optical manufacturer, inception 1888; headquarters recorded as .
  - Gola — company with inception recorded as 1905; country ; headquarters recorded .
  - Admiral Sports — English sportswear company, inception 1914; country ; headquarters  (source lists).
  - Marks Electrical — recorded with headquarters in Leicester (inception 1987 per referenced corporate page).
  - Garden Centre Shopping — online retailer with headquarters value given as Leicester and address qualifiers (Sapcote Garden Centre, Hinckley Road, Leicester).
  - Corgi Classics Limited — defunct British manufacturer of model vehicles, with headquarters recorded as .
- These presences indicate retail, manufacturing, food production, and apparel industries operating from or headquartered in Leicester.

### Culture, Arts & Music
- Cultural institutions and venues recorded:
  - National Space Centre — space and aerospace museum located in Belgrave, Leicester; inception 2001; employee figures recorded across several years.
  - Curve — theatre in Leicester, inception 2008.
  - Leicester Arena — event venue; inception 2016.
  - Leicester Museum & Art Gallery — recorded museum in Leicester.
  - Leicester Market — recorded building/market in the city.
- Music and bands linked to Leicester include:
  - Cornershop — British indie rock band, inception 1991.
  - Black Widow — British rock band, inception 1969.
  - Kasabian — British rock band, inception 1997.
  - Family — English rock band, inception 1967.
  - Maybeshewill — English rock band, inception 2005.
  - Sam Bailey — English singer (citizenship ; occupations listed).
- The city’s commons gallery and Wikimedia assets include a montage image and page banner used for representation.

### Sport
- Football:
  - Leicester City F.C. — association football club in Leicester, inception recorded 1884; listed with sitelink count and association to the city.
  - Filbert Street — Leicester City’s ground from 1891 to 2002.
- Rugby:
  - Leicester Tigers — English rugby union club, inception 1880; headquarters recorded as .
- Basketball:
  - Leicester Riders — British basketball team, inception 1967; headquarters .
- Other sports connections are present via stadiums and venues (Leicester Arena, sportswear companies such as Admiral, and sporting goods/brands).

### Transport & Infrastructure
- Leicester railway station is recorded as a railway station in Leicestershire, England.
- Multiple geospatial and mapping identifiers are recorded (WOEID 26062; Geonames 2644668; OpenStreetMap node id 10021976), supporting navigation and data services.
- Filbert Street is recorded historically as a major sporting venue.

### Landmarks & Institutions
- Religious / historical sites: Leicester Abbey (inception 1101), Greyfriars (inception 1201).
- Cultural and civic landmarks: National Space Centre (2001); Curve theatre (2008); Leicester Market; Leicester Museum & Art Gallery.
- Media: BBC Radio Leicester (inception 1967) is recorded among city-affiliated institutions.

### International Relations & Twinning
- Recorded twinned administrative bodies:
  - Chongqing.
  - Haskovo (start time 2005-11-15; source link provided).
  - Krefeld.
  - Strasbourg (reference link provided).
  - Rajkot.

### Suburbs & Administrative Parts
- Beaumont Leys is recorded as a suburb in Leicester, Leicestershire, England.

### Identifiers, Catalogues & External References
Leicester is represented across numerous authority files and datasets, enabling cross-referencing:
- VIAF id: 127852195.
- Freebase id: /m/0dhdp.
- Geonames id: 2644668.
- WOEID: 26062.
- MusicBrainz area id: 806b9b3b-5daf-4eaa-807d-7a2a29cde0da.
- OpenDomesday settlement id: SK5804/leicester.
- Who's On First id: 101750485.
- GNS unique feature id: -2600961.
- Various encyclopedia and library identifiers: Encyclopædia Britannica online id, Treccani id, Gran Enciclopèdia Catalana id, National Library of Israel id, and multiple others recorded in the source list.
- Category data for Wikipedia/Wikidata: category for people born there and associated people are referenced to the Leicester municipal data.

### Media, Images & Public Assets
- Montage image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:FilePath/Leicester_landmarks_montage.jpg.
- Page banner: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:FilePath/Leicester_Wikivoyage_banner.jpg.
- Coat of arms image on Commons: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:FilePath/Coat_of_Arms_of_Leicester_City_Council.svg.
- Commons gallery labeled "Leicester".

### Miscellaneous Structured Data
- WordNet synset ids recorded: 08899424-n and 08904239-n.
- Golden.com id: Leicester-P4A54.
- Curlie id: Regional/Europe/United_Kingdom/England/Leicestershire/Leicester/.
- Page metadata: Wikipedia languages list includes many language editions (ace, af, an, ar, de, es, fr, it, ja, ru, zh, etc.) and a recorded wikipedia_title: Leicester.
- Other catalog identifiers include Treccani, De Agostini, Enciclopedia dell'arte antica, and national thesauri and encylopedic identifiers referenced in the source.

### Related Events & Historical Notes
- The exhumation of Richard III (2012 archaeological event) is associated with Leicester in the provided dataset.
- Historical dates for religious houses and abbeys (Leicester Abbey 1101; Greyfriars 1201) are recorded as points of heritage significance.

### Connected Organizations, Venues & Companies (selection with inception or notes)
- Leicester City F.C. — inception 1884; association football club; headquarters linked to Leicester.
- Leicester Tigers — inception 1880; rugby union club; headquarters linked to Leicester.
- Walkers — snack food manufacturer, inception 1948; headquarters linked to Leicester.
- Next plc — British retailer, inception 1982; headquarters linked to Leicester.
- Alliance & Leicester — inception 1997; headquarters linked to Leicester.
- Gola — company inception 1905; country ; headquarters .
- Cooke Optics — inception 1888; British optical manufacturer; headquarters linked to Leicester.
- Admiral Sports — inception 1914; sportswear company referenced.
- Cornershop — band inception 1991.
- Kasabian — band inception 1997.
- Family — band inception 1967.
- Maybeshewill — band inception 2005.
- Black Widow — band inception 1969.
- Sam Bailey — English singer, citizen .

### Category & Reference Counts
- Sitelink count recorded: 114.
- Many referenced data points include specific source citations (ONS, Commons media, corporate pages, local council pages, and other authority records as indicated in the structured dataset).

(End of entry.)

## References

1. [Source](http://www.leicester.gov.uk/your-council/city-mayor-peter-soulsby/about-me)
2. [Source](https://www.haskovo.bg/article/7954/lestar-velikobritaniya)
3. [Source](https://www.strasbourg.eu/jumelages)
4. Virtual International Authority File
5. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013
6. Czech National Authority Database
7. MusicBrainz
8. [Source](https://www.ons.gov.uk/visualisations/censuspopulationchange/E06000016/)
9. Flickr Shapefiles Public Dataset 2.0
10. Leicestershire
11. GeoNames
12. BBC Things
13. [Source](https://service.unece.org/trade/locode/gb.htm)
14. [Source](http://www.citypopulation.de/php/uk-england-eastmidlands.php?cityid=E35001399)
15. Quora
16. [archINFORM](https://www.archinform.net/service/wd_aiort.php)
17. [Source](https://golden.com/wiki/Leicester-P4A54)
18. GF WordNet
19. museum-digital