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Leicester Cathedral

Anglican cathedrals in EnglandBuildings and structures in LeicesterChurch of England church buildings in LeicesterChurch of England church buildings in LeicestershireDiocese of Leicester
English Gothic architecture in LeicestershireEngvarB from July 2019Grade II* listed cathedralsGrade II* listed churches in LeicestershireJ. L. Pearson buildingsTourist attractions in Leicestershire
Leicester Cathedral south facade
Leicester Cathedral south facade

The Cathedral Church of Saint Martin, Leicester, commonly known as Leicester Cathedral, is a Church of England cathedral in Leicester, England and the seat of the Bishop of Leicester. The church was elevated to a collegiate church in 1922 and made a cathedral in 1927 following the establishment of a new Diocese of Leicester in 1926.The remains of King Richard III were reburied in the cathedral in 2015 after being discovered nearby in the foundations of the lost Greyfriars chapel, more than 500 years after his death.

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article Leicester Cathedral (License: CC BY-SA 3.0, Authors, Images).

Leicester Cathedral
Peacock Lane, Leicester Bede Island

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Wikipedia: Leicester CathedralContinue reading on Wikipedia

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Latitude Longitude
N 52.634644 ° E -1.137086 °
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Leicester Cathedral Gardens

Peacock Lane
LE1 5AL Leicester, Bede Island
England, United Kingdom
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Leicester Cathedral south facade
Leicester Cathedral south facade
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Exhumation and reburial of Richard III of England
Exhumation and reburial of Richard III of England

The remains of Richard III, the last English king killed in battle, were discovered within the site of the former Grey Friars Priory in Leicester, England, in September 2012. Following extensive anthropological and genetic testing, the remains were ultimately reinterred at Leicester Cathedral on 26 March 2015. Richard III, the final ruler of the Plantagenet dynasty, was killed on 22 August 1485 in the Battle of Bosworth Field, the last significant battle of the Wars of the Roses. His body was taken to Greyfriars, Leicester, where it was buried in a crude grave in the friary church. Following the friary's dissolution in 1538 and subsequent demolition, Richard's tomb was lost. An erroneous account arose that Richard's bones had been thrown into the River Soar at the nearby Bow Bridge. A search for Richard's body began in August 2012, initiated by Philippa Langley and the Looking for Richard project with the support of the Richard III Society. The archaeological excavation was led by the University of Leicester Archaeological Services, working in partnership with Leicester City Council. On the first day a human skeleton belonging to a man in his thirties was uncovered showing signs of severe injuries. The skeleton, which had several unusual physical features, most notably scoliosis, a severe curvature of the back, was exhumed to allow scientific analysis. Examination showed that the man had probably been killed either by a blow from a large bladed weapon, probably a halberd, which cut off the back of his skull and exposed the brain, or by a sword thrust that penetrated all the way through the brain. Other wounds on the skeleton had probably occurred after death as "humiliation injuries", inflicted as a form of posthumous revenge. The age of the bones at death matched that of Richard when he was killed; they were dated to about the period of his death and were mostly consistent with physical descriptions of the king. Preliminary DNA analysis showed that mitochondrial DNA extracted from the bones matched that of two matrilineal descendants, one 17th-generation and the other 19th-generation, of Richard's sister Anne of York. Taking these findings into account along with other historical, scientific and archaeological evidence, the University of Leicester announced on 4 February 2013 that it had concluded beyond reasonable doubt that the skeleton was that of Richard III. As a condition of being allowed to disinter the skeleton, the archaeologists agreed that, if Richard were found, his remains would be reburied in Leicester Cathedral. A controversy arose as to whether an alternative reburial site, York Minster or Westminster Abbey, would be more suitable. A legal challenge confirmed there were no public law grounds for the courts to be involved in that decision. Reinterment took place in Leicester on 26 March 2015, during a televised memorial service held in the presence of the Archbishop of Canterbury and senior members of other Christian denominations.

Alderman Newton's School
Alderman Newton's School

Alderman Newton's Boys School was a school in Leicester, England. It was a grammar school then became a comprehensive school. The original school was opened in 1784, thanks to money bequeathed by a former Mayor of Leicester, Gabriel Newton. Land at Greyfriars, Leicester acquired by the school in 1863 later proved to be the site of the Greyfriars friary church which contained the site of the grave of King Richard III. The school building has been converted to house the King Richard III Visitor Centre. Its pupils were known as Newtonians. They wore a uniform of green coats, which later became a Green Blazer with red piping around the cuffs and coat tails. The lower school, on the opposite side to the Cathedral and Greyfriars was where the 1st and 2nd year juniors were located. In the post war years well into the 1970s the lower school boys had to wear short grey trousers, the green school blazer and the green cap with red cords. All lower school boys had to wear the cap for fear of detention whilst walking between the lower and main school or the dinner block opposite the lower school. They also had to doff their caps to any "Masters" (teachers) whom they met along the street. The Masters mostly wore their black graduate gowns. On special occasions, such as the annual prize-giving held at the De Montfort Hall, the Masters would also wear their University stoles or colours which denoted their university of graduation. Some of these entailed quite elaborate faux fur collars. The school was closed in 1999 when it was merged by the local authority with two other local schools to form a single school. The road where the new school is located is named Greencoat Road in acknowledgement of the green coats worn by Alderman Newton's School pupils.There is an Old Newtonians Society for ex-pupils and an Old Newtonians Rugby Football club.