United Kingdom · England · Leicester
Westcotes, Leicester — Area Guide & Where to Stay
Westcotes, also known as West End, is an inner city ward of Leicester just west of the centre across the River Soar.
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Where to stay in Westcotes
Where the beds are, and what that means for the visit.
Narborough Road and Hinckley Road carry the shops, bars and restaurants that make this side of the river worth a bed. Westcotes covers only a few streets. Proximity to De Montfort University has made it a students' quarter, so what a visitor finds along Braunstone Gate is cheap eating and short walks rather than hotel frontage, with the city centre lying just over West Bridge.
Dane Hills lies further west.
Few places to stay in Westcotes — most visitors book in Leicester nearby.
Find hotels in Westcotes
Direct booking searches for these neighbourhoods.
Westcotes
Westcotes packs its shops, bars and restaurants into a small area between Braunstone Gate and Hinckley Road, which is why students and young professionals fill it. Beds are limited here, so book early.Find hotels in Westcotesa quieter address south of the Braunstone Gate bar stripBraunstone
Braunstone adjoins Westcotes on its southern side, near enough to walk in for the Narborough Road shops while sitting outside the student streets. Beds are limited here, so book early.Find hotels in BraunstoneHotel links are affiliate links: booking through them may earn us a commission, at no extra cost to you. It never affects how places are ranked. How this works
Things to do in and around Leicester
Ranked by global recognition; descriptions from Wikidata (CC0).
Churches & Religious Sites
3- St Paul's Church Heritage
- Church of St Andrew Heritage
- Church of the Martyrs Heritage
Castles & Historic Sites
1- Norfolk Street Roman villa
worth knowingacross 2 categories in and around Leicester
About Westcotes
What are the main landmarks in Westcotes?
Norfolk Street Roman villa sits at the far end of the record. Church of the Martyrs, the Church of St Andrew, St Paul's Church and Holy Apostles Church give the ward its dedications, while the Leicester Friars of the Sack carries a name from the city's religious past. West Gates marks the old edge.
Everything else here is street frontage along Narborough Road.
What is the history of Westcotes?
West End is the other name it answers to. Westcotes reaches the record as an inner city area and an electoral ward of Leicester City Council, lying over the River Soar from the old town gates, which is where the Norfolk Street Roman villa and the Leicester Friars of the Sack place its deepest layers. De Montfort University came later.
The student trade it drew is what fills Braunstone Gate.
Where is Westcotes?
Westcotes covers a small patch west of the River Soar in Leicester, with Braunstone to the south, Dane Hills to the west and Narborough Road through the middle.
Common questions
What is the best area to stay in Westcotes?
Westcotes: eating and drinking along Narborough Road without leaving the ward. Braunstone: a quieter address south of the Braunstone Gate bar strip. Leicester: a hotel room in the centre with only West Bridge to cross.
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More areas in Leicester
Updated October 2026