Gallowtree Gate, Leicester

Leicester boasts plenty of intriguing street names, each with its own story. One such is Gallowtree Gate, a busy pedestrian street in the heart of the city, running between Horsefair Street and the Clock Tower at Church Gate and Haymarket.

The streets in this area are commonly referred to as gates, which is due to the fortress-like gates that once offered entrance into the city through the Roman walls. The four gates were originally named after the cardinal directions but were later renamed to reflect their usage. The word "gate", from the Norse "gata", describes passages that were in use starting from the year 868 when Danish Vikings captured the Midlands, then known as the Mercia region of Britain.

Nowadays lined with shops, cafes and numerous businesses, the history of Gallowtree Gate is very different from the street's modern image. The origins of the name stem from its use as a path to the gallows where public executions were held. Condemned prisoners would have walked along Gallowtree Gate to the gallows in London Road, where today the Victoria Park gates are. There, they were hanged by the neck until death in front of a crowd of onlookers. Gruesome!!!