There has been a settlement on the site for over 1,000 years, the earliest records being in the Domesday Book as Sitestone. The Roman road known as the Fosse Way passes through the town. The large and impressive Church of St Peter and St Paul is the most ancient building in Syston, built in pink granite and white limestone with a proud west tower topped by a lozenge frieze, battlements and pinnacles.
The church mostly dates from the 15th century but there is a 13th-century sedilia in the chancel and a tomb recess in the south aisle of the early 14th century. The River Soar runs past the western edge of the town.
For a town of its modest size, Syston has a lot to offer shoppers. As well as national chains the town boasts a good range of independent traders. As well as the Central Park, right in the town centre as the name suggest, Watermead Park is a close neighbour.
