a market-town of Leicestershire, built on a rising ground, nearly on the borders of Leicestershire, from which it is separated by the Roman Watling-street road. It is distant from Coventry and Leicester 15 miles each, and 102 from London. It has been much larger than it is at present, the back lanes between the orchards having evidently been streets originally, and the traces of the town-wall and ditch are in many places yet visible. There are vestiges of two Roman works, viz. the mount near the river, and the ruins of a bath near St Nicholas church, where tessellated pavements have been dug up. The Jewry wall is said to have been the temple of Janus. The castle was inhabited by John of Gaunt; but is now no more, the site being converted into garden-ground, the castle-hill considerably lowered, and a gentleman's house erected on the spot in 1770. The steeple of the present church was built with some of the stones of the castle. The town is now divided into the borough, and the bond without the liberties. It has a good market on Mondays, and a fair in August. The chief manufacture is stockings and fine ale. The town is said to contain about 750 houses. There are two churches, one chapel, and a place of worship for the Roman Catholics, besides four meeting-houses. The church is a neat large old structure with a modern tower and a spire, the body of it was built in the 13th century, and near it are three mineral springs. This town is said to be the middle and highest ground in England; and from it 50 churches may be seen, besides gentlemen's seats. It received great damage by a fire September 5, 1728.