Bosworth

It was at Bosworth Field, or Redemore Plain as it was known at this time, that Richard III joined battle with the forces of Henry Tudor on 22nd August 1485 and it was there that he was to be ‘brutally slain’, as one account describes his end.

In the five hundred or so years since, there have been a number of proposed sites for the battle. Recently there have been three in contention but it is a site near to the traditional one, about 20 miles west of the City of Leicester, and near to the village of Sutton Cheney that archaeological work in 2009 showed where the battle was actually fought. This is in an area straddling Fenn Lane, near Fenny Drayton and about three miles from the traditional site on Ambion Hill. On the hill Leicestershire County Council have established a visitor centre and a new trail between the Centre and the battlefield site (which is on private farmland) has been established.

The major features of the battlefield are Ambion Hill, held by Richard’s Yorkist forces and the cairn over a well or spring where traditionally Richard took a drink during the battle.

Although the visitor centre, run by the Council, already had an excellent display area, it has been upgraded to make it more interactive and to include ‘living history’ displays, together with models of the combatants and a tableau of the battle, including a detailed description of the events leading up to it, and ending with a film show, where a re-enactment of the battle is shown.

The centre’s gift shop is one of the best. In addition to the usual souvenirs, it offers small toys for children and a comprehensive range of Ricardian related books and memorabilia.

The facilities include a restaurant, the Tithe Barn, and which provides a good range of food. Following a complete upgrade, the old ‘temporary’ building has been replaced, the new restaurant incorporating timber frame taken from a 14th century tithe barn and donated to the Battlefield Centre by Derbyshire County Council and the Derbyshire Archaeological Society.

To complete the facilities at the Centre, there is an extensive car parking and other local attractions include the village of Sutton Cheney and the small but attractive town of Market Bosworth. The Battlefield site is bounded by the A5, A444, A447 and the B585, and is clearly signposted from all these roads in the vicinity of Market Bosworth.

Access is easy from the M1, M6, M42 and M69 and all major roads in the Midlands. From Hinckley take the A47 north and turn left onto the A447 and follow signs for Sutton Cheney and then the battlefield.

Opening times:

April to October – 10am to 5pm

November to March – 10am to 4pm

Last entry to exhibition one hour before closing.

For prices for entry to exhibition, which includes discounts for families and for groups, visit the Bosworth Battlefield Centre’s own website at www.bosworthbattlefield.org.uk

e-mail: bosworth@leics.gov.uk

Telephone: +44 (0) 1455 290 429

Suggested Further Reading

Richard III and the Battle of Bosworth, Mike Ingram, 2019

The Battle of Bosworth, Michael Bennett, Stroud 1993

The Field of Redemore: The Battle of Bosworth, 1485, Peter Foss, Newtown Lindford 1998

The Battle of Bosworth, Christopher Gravett, Oxford 1999

Bosworth 1485: Psychology of a Battle, Michael K Jones, Stroud 2002

Richard III and the Bosworth Campaign, Peter Hammond, Barnsley 2010

Society members should note that there is a 20% discount on all standard admissions on production of your Society membership card.