The Slums of Leicester

This book features many never-before published photographs of the forgotten parts of Leicester, that is set out district by district. It provides a unique insight into how and where poor people lived in Leicester.

Many people will be able to recognize the town in this book as Leicester. However, the buildings, the streets and the way of life may all seem unfamiliar to the majority of us. Between 1932 and 1975, slum clearance changed the face of the city.

Housing close to the centre of town was demolished and new estates, factories and roads took their place. Until then, the slums were home to thousands of people who had to live in conditions that were frequently cramped, unhealthy and sometimes dirty.

In this book, images, accounts and maps of a long-vanished Leicester provide a glimpse of where and how thousands of poor people lived. "The Slums of Leicester" provides a unique pictorial account of a Leicester that has long disappeared.

It brings together vivid descriptions of life in the slums with contemporary photographs and maps which are set out district by district. It draws on many previously unpublished photographs and descriptions.

About the Author

Ned Newitt was born in Southend-on-Sea in 1946. He studied at Cardiff College of Art and came to Leicester in 1971.

From 1984-2003, he was a Leicester City Councillor, holding various prominent positions, including Chair of the Housing Committee, responsible for both council housing and housing renewal.

He was made an honorary Alderman in 2007. In 1983, he initiated the Leicester Oral History Archive and has subsequently researched the development of council housing in Leicester.