成人快手

Even before humans settled in the area, animals knew where they could safely cross the River Soar. Our early settlers followed the animals' tracks and used the same crossing point.

Many centuries later, when the Romans built the Fosse Way - the defensive road along the northern boundary of occupation - they also crossed the river at the same place and established a garrison nearby.听 From that garrison grew the the town of Leicester.

The area now known as the Mile Straight was at the heart of medieval Leicester.

The Castle was built upon its eastern banks.听The Church of St Mary de Castro with its slender spire towers above the waterfront.

After the Industrial Revolution the river through Leicester was both used and abused.

Factories used the water for their steam engines and also polluted the water course with their effluent.

It was also used as a useful means of transporting both raw materials and finished products into and out of the heart of the town.

In the last century, the river was tamed. For centuries it had flooded the surrounding low-lying land. Finally, the Corporation straightened it out and improved the structure of the banks in a major flood alleviation scheme.

Listen: City Water-Front

Roger speaks to Stephen about the city water-front today...

Nowadays the river is being treated with more respect. Redundant factories such as the Pex building have been given a new life as residential apartments, students from De Montfort University live, study and relax nearby.听

New Use for an Old Tip

Canal boats move slowly up and down the river past the Castle Park gardens which were laid out in 1926 on the site of a former Corporation tip.听听

New bridges have been built and the ancient buildings repaired. Swans follow the narrow boat on the look-out for a ready-cooked meal, and families of ducks swim in victory formation.

The aim of Roger's new booklet, called The Mile Straight: The fate of the Soar in the centre of Leicester, is to make people more aware of the natural treasure on their doorstep. Over two hundred free copies have been presented to local libraries, schools and colleges.

Buy the Book!

It's on sale at the Tourist Information Centre in Every Street, Tin Drum Books in Narborough Road and the Kings Lock tea Rooms in Aylestone priced at 拢6.00.

Roger's previous book, "Aylestone Meadows" has sold out after raising 拢260 for the Rainbows Charity and is currently being expanded and revised.

It should be available again in the summer and copies will be distributed free to the relevant schools and libraries in the south of the city.

In the longer term, Roger intends to write a fuller account that unifies the three books and printed in full colour including all the new information that the books are already stimulating, entitled "Navigation Leicester".

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