United Kingdom · England · Leicester
Black Friars, Leicester — Area Guide & Where to Stay
Roman ground, and civic ground. Black Friars holds Ratae Corieltauvorum, Leicester Castle and the Jewry Wall Museum within one quarter of Leicester.
About Black Friars
Where to stay in Black Friars
Each area has its own feel; here's who each one suits.
This quarter holds the sights, so it holds most of the reasons to book nearby: Leicester Castle, the Leicester Guildhall and the King Richard III Visitor Centre all stand within the same few streets. Walking beats any other option. The Haymarket Memorial Clock Tower, the Jewry Wall Museum and Newarke Houses Museum give three fixed points for judging how far a room really is from the sights.
Book close to the Guildhall.
About Black Friars
What are the main landmarks in Black Friars?
Few districts carry this many. Leicester Castle, the Leicester Guildhall and the Church of St Mary de Castro, Leicester cluster in the old civic heart, with St Nicholas' Church, Leicester close beside them. The Roman layer is separate.
Ratae Corieltauvorum underlies the Jewry Wall Museum, while Newarke Houses Museum, the Leicester Austin Friary and the King Richard III Visitor Centre spread the story across later centuries. Greyfriars, Leicester adds a second friary name.
What is the history of Black Friars?
Rome came first. Ratae Corieltauvorum stood on this ground, and the Jewry Wall remains of a Roman bath house, palaestra and Anglo-Saxon church still mark the point where the town began. Later centuries built over it.
Leicester Castle, the Leicester Guildhall, the Leicester Austin Friary and Greyfriars, Leicester belong to the medieval town, while the King Richard III Visitor Centre carries a royal name into the same few streets. Museums hold what survives.
Where is Black Friars?
Black Friars is central Leicester. Its ground holds the Roman site of Ratae Corieltauvorum beneath a quarter of museums, churches and Leicester Castle.
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More areas in Leicester
Updated September 2026