Leicester first dates
Date Ideas in Leicester: Murals, Markets, Roman Walls
A Georgian promenade, Roman ruins and more than a hundred murals: easy first dates in Leicester, most with no entry fee.
Walk New Walk to Leicester Museum & Art Gallery, which has had no entry fee since 1849, see the Roman Jewry Wall, follow the street art trail, or wander Abbey Park beside the River Soar. Both main bus stations stay open until about a quarter to midnight.
Leicester has more than 2,000 years of history, which gives a first date plenty to point at. Use the areas below to choose where to start, then the quick list to fill an hour. More cities sit on the date ideas hub, and the first date ideas guide has the basics for any of them.
Know the patch
Six corners of Leicester, one mood each
- New Walk
- A Georgian pedestrian promenade laid out in 1785, almost a mile long, running towards Victoria Park. Leicester Museum & Art Gallery sits on it and has had no entry fee since 1849.
- Cathedral and Old Town
- Leicester Cathedral holds the tomb of Richard III, reburied there in 2015. The timber-framed Guildhall nearby has an oldest part that dates from about 1390.
- Jewry Wall and the castle
- A ruined wall of 2nd-century Roman masonry, 9 metres high, stands beside St Nicholas Circle. Castle Gardens has flowerbeds and benches by the canal, and St Mary de Castro dates from 1107.
- Abbey Park and the river
- Opened in 1882, with the ruins of the medieval abbey inside its old walls and the River Soar running through. North of the city the Soar reaches Watermead Country Park.
- Cultural Quarter
- Curve theatre opened in 2008 and the Phoenix cinema in 2009. Since 2017 the Bring The Paint festivals and private commissions have built up more than a hundred murals around the city.
- The Golden Mile
- The stretch of Belgrave Road known for saree shops, jewellers and vegetarian restaurants, many open since the 1970s. Sweet marts suit anyone wanting something small.
Quick wins
Eight small ideas for one hour
- Hunt murals along the tourist board’s trail, which splits into short sections.
- Meet at the Richard III statue in Cathedral Gardens.
- Find the steel fox sculpture on the Corn Exchange roof.
- Browse Leicester Market, which is about 800 years old.
- Wander the Royal Arcade, open since 1878.
- Look at the Arch of Remembrance in Victoria Park, where New Walk ends.
- Stroll round Leicester Botanic Garden, a 16-acre site.
- Shelter in the café at the Jewry Wall museum, which overlooks the Roman ruins.
When it rains, Leicester Museum & Art Gallery is indoors, the new Jewry Wall museum sells tickets, and the King Richard III Visitor Centre stands on the Greyfriars site where he was buried in 1485. Check prices and opening hours first.
After dark
Getting home from a Leicester date
Buses and trains do the work. Visit Leicester lists Haymarket Bus Station, on Belgrave Gate, as open until 11.45pm, and the Choose How You Move travel page gives St Margaret’s Bus Station the same closing time. Individual routes have their own last buses, so look up yours.
There is a taxi rank at St Margaret’s. Whichever way you travel, settle the plan home before the evening starts.
Before you go
Meeting someone from Forget Dinner
Forget Dinner has members in and around Leicester. The Richard III statue in Cathedral Gardens is a plain, public meeting point with the cathedral beside it. Say your first hellos on the site, keep to daylight or early evening and tell a friend where you’ll be.
If something feels off, block or report and walk away; the safety page lists the tools. Curious who is around? Try singles near you.
The age mix below is for the UK as a whole, where about six in ten members are between 35 and 54.
Members in the UK by age, as shares of everyone listed.
Leicester date questions
What can we do in Leicester on a first date besides dinner?
Walk New Walk to Leicester Museum & Art Gallery, look at the Roman Jewry Wall, follow the mural trail or stroll through Abbey Park. Each is public and easy to leave, and the museum has had no entry fee since 1849.
Does Leicester Museum & Art Gallery charge?
Visit Leicester says the museum has charged nothing for entry since it opened in 1849. Its listing also mentions new galleries being built, so ask which are open before you go. See cheap date ideas for other low-cost plans.
What is the Golden Mile in Leicester?
It is the part of Belgrave Road known for saree shops, jewellers and vegetarian restaurants. Visit Leicester calls it more Indian bazaar than urban street. Go in daylight to browse, and expect the road to be lit up at Diwali.
How late can I get a bus in Leicester?
Haymarket Bus Station is listed as open until 11.45pm, and the Choose How You Move travel page gives St Margaret’s the same closing time. Each route has its own last bus, so check yours, and note that St Margaret’s has a taxi rank.
Find someone to walk New Walk with
Say what you’re after, see who’s nearby and pick a stop from the list.
Meet someone