Top Hat Terrace, Leicester

When heading down London Road toward the Railway Station, you’ll notice a rather unusual building known as Top Hat Terrace. It was constructed in 1864 in the Victorian architectural style. It is named for Francis “Tanky” Smith, a famous private detective and master of disguise who is supposedly the model for Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes. The building was designed by Leicester architect James Francis Smith.

Image Courtesy of Flickr and Fiery Fred.

Want to visit this sight? Check out these Self-Guided Walking Tours in Leicester. Alternatively, you can download the mobile app "GPSmyCity: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The app turns your mobile device to a personal tour guide and it works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.

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Create Your Own Self-Guided Walk to Visit This Sight

Sight Name: Top Hat Terrace
Sight Location: Leicester, England (See walking tours in Leicester)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark

Walking Tours in Leicester, England

Create Your Own Walk in Leicester

Creating your own self-guided walk in Leicester is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.

Leicester Introduction Walking Tour

Leicester is one of the oldest cities in England, whose history goes back almost two millennia. The Romans arrived in the area around 47 AD, during their conquest of southern Britain. Following the Saxon invasion, Leicester was then captured by Danish Vikings, in the 9th century.

The settlement was first documented in the early 10th century, under the name Ligeraceaster. At the time of the... view more

Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.1 Km or 0.7 Miles

Historical Buildings

Leicester, a city in England's East Midlands, has a storied past that is vividly presented in its historical buildings. Valuable architectural monuments, they are the city's pride and as such enjoy special protection by the government.

Among such, Magazine Gateway stands as a testament to the city's medieval legacy. Originally part of its defensive walls, this structure now... view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.6 Km or 1.6 Miles