St Mary de Castro

Another work trip today, taking me out of Yorkshire for the first time in two or three months.

This was only my second visit to Leicester, the first being about a year ago, and both times I've been impressed by the look and feel of the city centre. Admittedly I've only seen a tiny patch between the station and the universities, but that's enough to suggest to me that there is an intact sense of place.

Leicester has played quite a significant part in my family history, as my Mum trained as a teacher at the Leicester College of Domestic Science, and it was here(ish) that she met my Dad, who was training up the road in Loughborough.

I had half an hour before my meeting started so pottered around and found myself at the Norman Church of St Mary de Castro, which was tucked away in a quiet courtyard. I'm no expert on churches, but this one had a great iron and stone work on the doors, and an atmospheric graveyard, with unusual (to me) slim tombstones. It has connections to Chaucer and Henry VI amongst other characters in its history.

This is a rather conventional shot, but captures something of the character of the place.

ghosts ~ of poets and knights ~ serene space ~ to meditate ~ in the city