This mention of Hinckley in Shakespeare`s play `Henry IV part 2` might come as a surprise to many readers because this thriving industrial Leicestershire town is not thought of in historical terms in the same way as other county towns such as Melton Mowbray or Market Harborough. Nevertheless, Hinckley is a very ancient place and its name owes its origin to the Saxon settlement in the "ley" or clearing in the wood-land occupied by the followers of Hinck. There is also evidence of a Roman settlement having pre-dated the Saxon one.

Leicester is one of the oldest cities in the UK with a history of settlement stretching back at least 2000 years, though it only "officially" received city status in 1919. Geoffrey of Monmouth wrote that Leicester was founded by King Leir, a mythical king of the Britons.

Little is known about Leicester prior to the Roman conquest. It is likely that it was inhabited by a Celtic tribe before the Romans built their town (which they named Ratae Corieltauvorum) on the land. Much more is known about the place from Roman times onward, not least because of the extensive archaeological excavations in Leicester and the many finds they have unearthed.