Leicester Market’s 2,000-Year History Revealed in New Talk

Name: The Archaeology of Leicester Market by Joseph Peters
Start: 2026-07-21T14:00:00+01:00
End: 2026-07-21T15:00:00+01:00
Location: The Guildhall

beehiveweb.co.uk editorial team 2026-07-21 09:57 3 min read

An ornate traditional archway situated in a bustling urban street environment.

Leicester Market’s recent excavations have uncovered evidence spanning more than 2,000 years, from a Roman coin hoard to traces of a medieval market building. On Tuesday 21 July 2026, Site Director Joseph Peters will present the key discoveries during a one-hour talk at The Guildhall, Guildhall Lane, Leicester, LE1 5FQ.

The presentation runs from 14:00 to 15:00, and standard tickets cost £6 per person. A booking option is available through the official event listing. The session may particularly interest people curious about Leicester’s archaeology, the development of its market or the physical evidence hidden beneath familiar parts of the city.

Two discoveries spanning Leicester’s long history

The Archaeology of Leicester Market will focus on finds made during the recent excavation rather than offering only a general account of the city’s past. Peters will explain evidence covering two millennia of activity at the market site, including discoveries from the Roman and medieval periods.

One of the principal finds is a 4th-century Roman coin hoard. The source does not specify the number or type of coins, but their discovery provides a surviving physical link to activity in Roman Leicester.

The excavation has also identified evidence of the market’s first medieval covered building, dated to the 15th century. Together, these finds allow the talk to move between two very different periods while remaining closely tied to one location and the material recovered there.

For local residents, that focus gives the presentation an immediate sense of place: the subject is not a distant archaeological site, but the layers beneath Leicester Market and the structures that occupied it before the present day.

What Joseph Peters will present

As Site Director, Joseph Peters will guide attendees through the excavation’s key discoveries and the timeline they reveal. The advertised material ranges from Roman coins to medieval building evidence, showing how archaeologists have traced changes at the site across centuries.

The event information does not provide a detailed running order or indicate whether audience questions will be included. Attendees should therefore expect a focused archaeological presentation built around the principal finds described in the listing.

Planning your visit to The Guildhall

Detail	Information
Event	The Archaeology of Leicester Market by Joseph Peters
Date	Tuesday 21 July 2026
Time	14:00–15:00
Venue	The Guildhall
Address	Guildhall Lane, Leicester, LE1 5FQ
Standard ticket	£6
Entry	Advance booking option listed

No accessibility, transport or arrival guidance is included in the supplied event information. Anyone who needs those details should check directly with The Guildhall or the event organiser before attending.

The listing information was supplied to Leicester City Council by Phylum Forge Limited, trading as Data Thistle, and is subject to change. Prospective visitors are advised to confirm the date, time, ticket availability and any venue requirements through the official listing or with the venue before travelling.

Source: Visit Leicester Events

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Event details were verified against the official listing provided by the Visit Leicester platform and Data Thistle.

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