Leicester

Leicester Cathedral (originally St Martin’s Church), is, of course, the location of King Richard’s tomb, following his reburial in 2015. The Cathedral gardens is now the home of the statue of Richard III at Bosworth by James Butler R.A. which was presented by the Richard III Society in 1980. The statue has become a focal point for Ricardians who wish to pay their respects to King Richard by leaving white roses. It should be noted that flowers are not allowed by the king’s grave.

The King Richard III Visitor Centre is opposite the Cathedral and includes the king’s original gravesite. The Centre is also the home of the facial reconstruction of King Richard, commissioned by the Society in 2013. There is a charge to enter the Visitor Centre, but members of the Richard III Society are eligible for a discount of 25%.

The Guildhall is located next to the Cathedral. The building dates back to the mid fourteenth century, and in Richard’s time was used by the Corpus Christi Guild for its meetings, and also provided accommodation for the Guild’s chantry priests.

The site of Leicester Castle is in the Castle Gardens off St Nicholas Circle. The Castle Yard, the Great Hall and St Mary de Castro (originally the chapel for the Castle) have survived. St Mary de Castro was founded in 1107 and was where Richard’s father, Richard, Duke of York, and King Henry VI were knighted in 1426. The church is open daily (see here for details), and a virtual tour of the building can be seen here.

The Magazine Gateway dates from 1410 and was the original main entrance into the Newarke. Local tradition has it that Richard passed through this gate on his last visit to Leicester just prior to his death. Within the Newarke was the Collegiate Church of St Mary of the Annunciation. It was in this church that Richard’s body was put on display after his death at Bosworth. Very little of the church remains, but there are two arches inside the Hawthorn Building of De Montfort University, which is occasionally open to the public.

Richard led his troops out of Leicester to Bosworth over Bow Bridge and his body was carried back over it after the battle. The present bridge is not the original, but dates from around 1863. According to legend – now disproved – an old woman prophesied that where his spur struck the bridge on the outward journey, his head would strike after the battle. A plaque erected in 2005 by the Society close to the bridge, records the story that Richard’s body was thrown into the River Soar from there. This story has also now been disproved. Another possibly unlikely story is that Richard spent his last night in Leicester at the White Boar Inn, which was changed to the Blue Boar after the battle. The site is now occupied by a Travelodge.

Leicester Website: http://www.leicester.gov.uk

Tourist Information Office: located within the King Richard III Visitor Centre, 4A St Martins, Leicester LE1 5DB. Tel: 0844 888518. E-mail: info@visitleicester.info Website: www.visitleicester.info

The Guildhall: Tel: 0116 253 2569. E-mail: museums@leicester.gov.uk

Leicester Cathedral: The Cathedral Centre, 7 Peacock Lane, Leicester LE1 5PZ. Tel: 0116 261 5200. Website: www.leicestercathedral.org E-mail: leicestercathedral@lecofe.org