Portraits of Valour Guided Tours

About this event

Step Back in Time: The Guildhall in the Trenches & Twenties Discover the hidden history of Leicester’s most iconic medieval building—and the local heroes who stood in its courtyard. Join us for an exclusive guided tour that transports you back to Leicester Guildhall during the turbulent 1910s and 1920s. Long before its modern restoration, this ancient structure was facing severe neglect and the threat of demolition, mirroring the fragile, changing world outside its walls. Tour Highlights - The Forgotten Years: Explore the silent, crumbling state of the Guildhall during the First World War. - Stand in Their Footsteps: Visit the exact spot outside the Mayor’s Parlour where eight extraordinary working-class men from the Belgrave Institute stood for an iconic Leicester Chronicle photograph on 22nd November 1919. - The Great Rescue: Discover how the community rallied to save and restore this medieval treasure, leading to its grand reopening as a museum in 1926. This tour perfectly complements our poignant Portraits of Valour exhibition, hosted in partnership with the At-Risk War Memorials Project. Experience local history on the very ground where it was made.

Event details

Date

Monday, 9 November 2026

Start time

11:30

Venue

The Guildhall

Guildhall Lane, Leicester, LE1 5FQ

Getting there & venue info

Good to know

More at The Guildhall

• Life in Medieval Leicestershire by Peter LiddleWed, 21 Oct 2026 · 14:00
• Jo QuailWed, 21 Oct 2026 · 19:30
• Monsters And BatsThu, 22 Oct 2026 · 11:00
• Meet the Police – Community Fun Day!Fri, 23 Oct 2026 · 11:00
• Ghosts At The GuildhallThu, 29 Oct 2026 · 19:00
• Portraits of Valour: The Soldiers Who Came to the GuildhalMon, 2 Nov 2026 · 11:00

More in Leicester over the next two weeks