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The Midlands

Historic Building sights in The Midlands

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    Lord Leycester Hospital

    Charmingly leaning against the Westgate and a survivor of the 1694 fire, the wonderfully wonky Lord Leycester Hospital has been used as a retirement home for soldiers (but not as a hospital) since 1571. Visitors can wander round the chapel, guildhall, regimental museum and restored walled garden, which includes a knot garden and a Norman arch.

    reviewed

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    St Mary's Guildhall

    Near the ruins of St Michael's Cathedral is St Mary's Guildhall, one of the country's finest medieval guildhalls. Inside rooms that once imprisoned Mary, Queen of Scots, you can view arms and armour, ancient oil paintings and 15th-century tapestries.

    reviewed

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    Aston Hall

    About 3 miles north of the centre in Aston (of Aston Villa fame), this well-preserved hall was built in extravagant Jacobean style between 1618 and 1635. To get to Aston Hall, take bus 65 or a train to Aston station from New St station.

    reviewed

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    Guildhall

    Leicester's perfectly preserved 14th-century guildhall is reputed to be the most haunted building in Leicester. You can search for spooks in the magnificent Great Hall, the wood-panelled Mayor's Parlour and the old police cells, which contain a reconstruction of a 19th-century gibbet.

    reviewed

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    Soho House

    About 1.5 miles northwest of the Jewellery Quarter, Soho House is where industrialist Matthew Boulton lived from 1766 to 1809. Among the restored 18th-century chambers is the dining room where Boulton and members of the Lunar Society met to discuss their world-changing ideas. Take bus 74 or 79.

    reviewed

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    Pump Room

    At the base of the Slopes is the Pump Room (to be turned into tearooms in 2014), which dispensed Buxton's spring water for nearly a century.

    reviewed

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    Devonshire Dome

    A glorious piece of Victoriana, the Devonshire Dome contains part of the campus of the University of Derby and an opulent spa offering a full range of pampering treatments.

    reviewed

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    Buxton Baths

    In Victorian times, spa activities centred on the extravagant Buxton Baths complex, built in grand Regency style in 1854. The various bath buildings are fronted by a grand, curving facade, known as the Crescent, inspired by the Royal Crescent in Bath. It's expected to re-open in 2014 as a five-star hotel and spa.

    reviewed

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    Town Hall

    The west side of Victoria Sq is marked out by the neoclassical Town Hall, constructed in 1834 and styled after the Temple of Castor and Pollux in Rome, and now used as a venue for classical concerts and stage performances.

    reviewed

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