THE discovery of the remains of King Richard III under a council car park has put Leicestershire on the tourist map.

It has been estimated that visitors entranced by the monarch’s story have brought in £55 million to the city of Leicester alone over the last year.

An information centre now welcomes hordes of people who want to learn more about the last Plantagenet king of England.

Medieval history fascinates me and I have been eager for some time to make my own pilgrimage to Richard’s last resting place in the city’s cathedral.

But my family had other ideas when the chance came up to visit Leicestershire. It wasn’t Plantagenets on their minds… it was primates!

The county’s Twycross Zoo originally specialised in monkeys and apes, and it retains a focus on preserving this most engaging group of animals.

From humble beginnings in a pet shop in Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands, the zoo moved to a small collection on the outskirts of Tamworth before opening its doors at Twycross in 1963.

The zoo cares for about 150 species of animals and is the only place in the UK to have every type of great ape (gorilla, orang-utan, chimpanzee and bonobo) and a wide collection of gibbons.

It is undergoing a £55 million redevelopment that will transform it over the next 20 years into one of the region’s, and the UK’s, leading visitor attractions.

Major new habitats, the giraffe savannah and gibbon forest, have already opened. Covering about 4,000 square metres (nearly an acre), the gibbon forest is 10 times larger than the primates’ previous enclosure and is specially designed to replicate the natural forest environment of gibbons as well as provide an exciting new experience for visitors.

We certainly found the zoo a clean, pleasant place where the animals appeared to have plenty of space and some areas of privacy away from staring visitors.

The highlight of our visit was certainly seeing the primates, of which Tycross is so proud. Our children were also given the chance to speak to guides about their work, and I hope they came away from their visit more aware of the threats facing the world’s wildlife. They also saw that the case for and against keeping animals in captivity is a complex one.

Like all attractions of its type, prices for food and drink at the zoo are a little expensive, so if you are on a budget it would be wise to take your own. There are pleasant picnic areas in the grounds.

We based ourselves for our stay in Leicestershire at Sketchley Grange Hotel and Spa, Hinckley, and made use of its one-night Stay, Play and Explore deal. Prices start at £139 for two adults and two children and include admission to three out of 10 local attractions and breakfast at the hotel. It is a terrific-value deal bearing in mind that entry to the zoo alone would normally cost £65.80 for two adults and two children (though online discounts are available).

As well as the zoo, options for attractions include the Conkers family park, National Space Centre, Twinlakes Theme Park and Leicester Outdoor Pursuits, among others.

Sketchley Grange is an elegant, child-friendly country house hotel that blends historical character with contemporary design. It is in a rural area so it is quiet and there is plenty of parking, but it is close to a good roads network that gets you where you need to go quickly.

I would recommend eating at the hotel (dinner is not included in the Stay, Play and Explore deal). Food is served at the bar, and the restaurant is excellent. It can, though, be busy so be sure to book in advance.

Sketchley Grange Hotel and Spa, Sketchley Lane, Hinckley, Leicestershire, LE10 3HU

Call: 01455 251133

Email: info@sketchleygrangehotel.co.uk

Visit: sketchleygrangehotel.co.uk/Special-Offers/Stay-Play-and-Explore

Twycross Zoo, near Norton Juxta Twycross, Leicestershire. CV9 3PX

Tel: 0844 4741777 or 01827 880250

Email: info@twycrosszoo.org

Visit: twycrosszoo.org