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The most conspicuous building in Leicester's crowded centre is undoubtedly the modern Haymarket shopping complex, but the proper landmark is the nearby Victorian clock tower of 1868, marking the spot where seven streets meet. From here, Cheapside leads south in a few yards to Leicester's open-air, fresh produce market (Mon-Sat), arguably the best in the land. Alternatively, from back at the clock tower, East Gates and then the old High Street run west with Silver Street (subsequently Guildhall Lane), soon branching off to reach St Martin's Cathedral , a much modified eleventh-century structure that incorporates a fine medieval wooden entrance porch. Next door is the Guildhall (Mon-Sat 10am-5.30pm, Sun 2-5pm; free), a half-timbered building that has served, variously, as the town hall, prison and police station. From the Guildhall, it's a short walk west to St Nicholas Circle, a large roundabout that is part of the ring road. Go round it to the right - there's a walkway - and on the right is the Jewry Wall , a chunk of Roman masonry some 18ft high and 73ft long that was originally part of Hadrian's public baths. The project was a real irritation to the emperor. Hadrian's grand scheme was spoilt by the engineers, who miscalculated the line of the aqueduct that was to pipe in the water, and so bathers had to rely on a hand-filled cistern replenished from the river - which wasn't what he had in mind at all. The adjacent Jewry Wall and Museum (April-Sept Mon-Sat 10am-5pm, Sun 1-5pm; Oct-March closes 1hr earlier; free) charts Leicester's history from prehistoric to medieval times in dowdy fashion. The most interesting artefacts are Roman, a hotchpotch of archeological finds from Fosse Way milestones to two splendid mosaics. From the museum, it's a short stroll south via St Nicholas Circle to Castle Gardens , a narrow strip of a park that runs alongside a canalized portion of the Soar. The gardens incorporate the castle motte, the overgrown mound where Leicester's Norman fortifications once stood. At the far end of the gardens, you emerge on The Newarke, the location of the Newarke Houses Museum (Mon-Sat 10am-5.30pm, Sun 2-5pm; free), two adjoining Jacobean houses that make a pleasant setting for an exploration of the town's social history. Beside the museum, along Castle View, is the Turret Gateway , a rare survivor of the city's medieval castle, and beyond that is the attractive church of St Mary de Castro (Easter-Oct Sat 2-5pm), whose mixture of architectural styles incorporates several Norman features, notably a five-seater sedilia in the chancel. Interestingly enough, this was probably where Chaucer got married. At the east end of The Newarke, ignominiously stranded between the carriageways of the ring road, stands the distinctive and substantial Magazine Gateway (no access), once a medieval entrance into the city and arsenal - hence the name. From here, it's a short walk south to the Jain Centre , in a totally revamped old Congregational chapel at the beginning of Oxford Street. The rites and beliefs of the Jains, a long-established Indian religious sect, focus on an extreme reverence for all living things - traditional customs include the wearing of gauze masks to prevent the inhalation of passing insects. The temple, the only one of its kind in western Europe, has a splendidly garish white marble facade, and visitors may enter the lobby - or, better, view the interior by prior appointment, call 0116/254 3091. From the Jain Centre, it's about ten minutes' walk east to the New Walk Museum and Art Gallery (Mon-Sat 10am-5.30pm, Sun 2-5pm; free), easily the best of the city's museums, located on the New Walk. To get there from the Jain temple, go back to the beginning of Oxford Street, turn right onto Newarke Street and keep going straight until you intersect with - and turn right onto - New Walk , a pleasant pedestrianized promenade that runs out from the centre to leafy Victoria Park. On the museum's ground floor is a real surprise - an outstanding collection of German Expressionists, mostly sketches, woodcuts and lithographs by the likes of Otto Dix and George Grosz. The Victorian Gallery is fascinating, too, dominated by extravagant, often mawkish romantic paintings, amongst which is Charles Green's iconic The Girl I left behind Me of 1880.
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