Will be visiting Leicester in May with a friend who has relatives there. Will likely be spending most of one day visiting, but will have some time for sightseeing. Does anyone have recommendations for what to see and do while there? Thanks.

OK - your title confuses me. Are you just asking about Leicester - what has London got to do w/ it? London is not near Leicester.

Anyway - near leicester are places like Oakham/Stamford/Rutland Water, Kirby Hall, Rockingham Castle, Burghley House (magnificent), Belvior. And you're really not that far from places like Warwick/Stratford or even Oxford. I really all depends on what sorts of things you are looking for.

Sorry, meant Leicester, England (and I even previewed!!!) - that's what happens when you do something in a hurry!

Just wondered what people found most interesting and most worthwhile when such little time is available. We will not likely have a car.

As janisj says, Leicestershire and its neighbours have some splendid countryside - even better if you ride horses. And wonderful houses and ancient towns in it.

But without a car, your choices if you're in the City of Leicester come down to:
- getting public transport to Stamford and spending the day there,or
- grabbing a balti, or doing some sari shopping, around Belgrave Road or
- being astounded at the retro 1950s space rocket icon used on many Leicester road signs to point the way to the Space Museum. As Britain (rightly) regards space programmes as wastes of money, the content of Leicester's most famous museum is slightly less exciting than the signs.

From a visitor's point of view, Leicester itself is pretty much where WC Fields had in mind when he came out with that line about rather being in Philadelphia.

You can get a direct train to Cambridge from Leicester- great for a day out! OR take the train to Birmingham- great public buildings, Victorian art gallery & good shopping in the Bull Ring with its iconic new department store "Selfridges"

You can easily visit London for a day if you want. Or, as has already been suggested, Cambridge is a good day trip.
Carolena

Beaver Castle.
Rutland Water (take a osprey spotting trip to find the only nesting pair of Ospreys in England (I think)

http://www.ospreys.org.uk/AWOP/Home.htm

Melton Mowbray (don't forget to have a genuine Melton Mowbray Pork Pie)

There's loads to see in Rutland http://www.rutnet.co.uk/events/

There are a lot of good suggestions here, but I thought I would just add/correct to what Pumbavu said about Melton Mowbray, by strongly suggesting you dont go there.

It really is an unatractive market town not worth waisting valuable sightseeing time when you could go to visit some of the other splendid places others have suggested.

>>>>
As Britain (rightly) regards space programmes as wastes of money, the content of Leicester's most famous museum is slightly less exciting than the signs.
>>>>>

we are lucky that the government didn't consider supersonic transport a waste of money (as it should have) or we would now have less exciting aerospace museums as well!

Not at all sure what Punbavu means by "Beaver Castle". I'll assume he meant the Belvior Castle I mentioned -- it is sort of pronounced "Beever"