Ashby-de-la-Zouch is just over the Derbyshire border, in North West Leicestershire.

The single main street of buildings and shops shows evidence of structures through the ages. Beams embedded in walls suggest building many hundreds of years old. The town has had a "castle period", a "spa period" and a "railway period" and all are in evidence in the museum.

Once out of the museum , the most important structure in the town is Ashby Castle, built by Lord Hastings in the 15th Century. The Hastings family had much impact on the history of England - although the Royal Court was in London, the power of the nobles rested on their holdings of land and it is the land around Ashby and the Castle which were the key to the wealth and power of the Hastings family.

The Castle was a Royalist stronghold in the English civil war and eventually the Hasting tower was destroyed by order of Parliament to reduce royal power which heralded our parliamentary democracy.

The #English Heritage tour of the Castle is fascinating and brings the history of the place to life.

The town has other places to visit and a lively set of of pubs and restaurants.

From "King Richard the Third" by William Shakespeare:

Hastings: Good time of day my gracious Lord.

Gloucester: As much unto my good Lord Chamberlain ! Well are you welcome to the open air. How hath your your lordship brooked imprisonment?

Hastings: With patience noble lord, as prisoners must ; but I shall live, my lord, to give them thanks that were the cause of my imprisonment.