The main focus on a recent trip to Leicester was all things Richard III and naturally that included a visit to Leicester Cathedral where his remains were reinterred on March 26th 2015. After having been to the Visitor Centre and seen displays on how the remains were discovered (blog post here) we were keen to see his final resting place for ourselves.
The tomb is quite striking for all its apparent simplicity. Carved from limestone that is teeming with fossils, as shown here
it is arranged on a marble plinth carved simply with his name, dates he was born and died and his crest of arms. (He is not actually buried within the tomb but deeper underground, so we were allowed to touch the tomb itself).
Regular readers will know how much I appreciate stained glass windows and the Cathedral has some excellent examples, including some in commemoration of Richard III.
Also on display was the pall that had covered Richard’s coffin. Beautifully made by one women, Jacquie Binns it depicts those people who were instrumental in the re-interment of Richard’s remains. It really is quite lovely and very well done.
The Cathedral itself is built on the site of a Roman temple. The Normans began building a church here 900 years ago which was then rebuilt and enlarged in the 13th and 15th centuries and again by the Victorians who added the spire. It has been a cathedral since 1927.
You can find more photos of the Cathedral here.
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