March 2024 event

Timed tours

12.00pm and 2.00pm: Architectural Tour of University Campus (no need to book)

The campus of the University of Leicester is notable for the range and importance of its architecture. The oldest building, the imposing Fielding Johnson Building, was built in the 1830s as the Leicestershire and Rutland Lunatic Asylum. Towering above the old asylum are three distinctive buildings from the 1960s: the Engineering Building, the Attenborough Tower and the Charles Wilson building.

Visitors will be led on a guided tour of campus architecture, and will hear about the contribution of celebrated architects including James Stirling and James Gowan, Denys Lasdun, and Leslie Martin.

This guided walk is considered easy and covers less than 1km. The walk is suitable for wheelchair users. Children and families are welcome on the tour.

Please congregate near the Astro Van, located at the front of the Percy Gee building 5 mins before the tours are due to start. No need to book.

Drop-in sessions

11.00am – 4.00pm: Living History!

Join members of The Prehistoric Workshop and Vikings of Middle England to get a taste of life in ancient Leicester!

The Prehistoric Workshop team will have handling replica pottery, flint and textiles, and will be demonstrating flint-knapping and flax processing (spinning weaving) – why not have a go at spinning yourself?!

Once again, our friends from the Vikings of Middle England will be roaming the halls bring a sense of the Nordic to the event. At their stall you will find handling objects galore and you may even want to challenge them to a game of hnefatafl.

The Vikings of Middle England will be located in Room 0.13 (behind Starbucks) and The Prehistoric Workshop team will be in the main Students' Union Square just in front of Room 0.13.

11.00am – 4.00pm: Bringing Art and Heritage Together (no need to book)

Fancy creating your own mini Roman mosaic? Drop in to see the DMArtology team and learn how to make a mosaic. Photos of Leicester Mosaics discovered by archaeologists in the city and county will available to view.

All materials will be provided.

Located in Room 0.13 (behind Starbucks).

11.00am – 4.00pm: Historical Card games: Curses! and Thanos Snap (no need to book)

Try your hand at our historical card games!

Curses! Invites players into ancient Mesopotamia. Players try to assemble materials to build a ziggurat—while disrupting their opponents with curse tablets, based on real cuneiform magical texts. Approximate playing time: 15-20 minutes.

Thanos Snap teaches archaeological theory by destroying the world. Each turn another type of material culture vanishes from the world—e.g. concrete, electricity, livestock, petrol, vision correction lenses—and players have to imagine how the world will change as, one-by-one, we lose our important things. They’ll build a word-cloud of changes and calamities brought on by the power of material culture! Approximate playing time: 10 minutes

Located in Room 0.13 (behind Starbucks)

1.00pm – 4.00pm: Dress to Impress – Roman Hairdressing (no need to book)

Join Mary Harlow from the University of Leicester to learn how to arrange Roman hairstyles based on hairstyles of Roman statues.

All require long hair. If you would like to dress to impress just stop by the stall. No need to book. Permission required from parents of children who wish to participate.

Located in the main SU Square.

List of stallholders

There will be a wide range of local community groups and organisations located in the main square of the SU. Please note that stallholders are being added daily.

Active Travel (Walking and Cycling) Team at Leicester City Council
Belton History Group
De Montfort University Museum and Special Collections
Discover Northants
DMArtology - Bringing Art and Heritage Together
Documentary Media Centre
Friends of Grace Dieu Priory
Friends of the Jewry Wall
Leicestershire Archaeological and Historical Society
Leicester Cathedral
Leicester City Council
Leicester City, County and Rutland At Risk War Memorials Project
Leicester Libraries
Leicester Literary and Philosophical Society Natural History Section
Leicester Museums and Art Galleries
Leicestershire County Council’s Heritage Services based at Bosworth Battlefield and the 1620s House and Garden
Leicestershire Fieldworkers
Leicestershire Historic Churches Trust
Leicestershire and Rutland Family History Society
Lynne About Loughborough
Northants Archaeological Resource Centre
Oadby and Wigston Borough Council
Roman Hairdressing Salon
Serendipity Institute for Black Arts and Heritage
Silk Road Coffee
The Prehistoric Workshop
University of Leicester:
- Archives and Special Collections
- East Midlands Oral History Archive (EMOHA)
- Heritage Hub (HH)
- Historical card games (Curses; Thanos Snap)
- Institute of Environmental Futures (IEF)
- Samuel Pepys's Diary, the Great Fire of London and Deaf History (Kate Loveman)
- School of Archaeology and Ancient History (SAAH)
- School of History, Politics and International Relations (HyPIR)
- Historical card games (Curses; Thanos Snap)
- University of Leicester Archaeological Services (ULAS)
Victoria County History
Visit Leicester Information Centre
Wigston Framework Knitters

Food and drink

There will be a wide range of food and drink available to purchase on site.

Browse the LSP website for menus and prices.

Parking

We have arranged parking at Freemen’s multi-storey car park for a special rate of £2.50 all day.

The car park is located on Putney Road, Leicester LE2 7TG. The entrance is opposite the Nixon Court accommodation. Find the location on our map.

The car park uses ANPR, which picks up the vehicle registration when you enter. Visitors can then go to campus and when you return to your vehicle you can pay at the kiosk where you will enter your registration to pay, or you can simply drive up to the barrier and the camera will pick up the registration and payment can be made at exit. If visitors need a receipt you can press to receive one. Visitors will not need to display a ticket.