Leicester Cathedral & Richard III

Leicester Cathedral, Leicester

Leicester Cathedral (St. Martin's Cathedral) in Leicester is a medieval building, situated in the city centre, very close to the Guildhall.

With its tall spire, Leicester Cathedral is an important part of Leicester's history and present day skyline. The church was not originally designed as a cathedral and only became one in 1927, when the diocese of Leicester was formed.

The cathedral is the seat of the Bishop of Leicester and the cathedral church of the diocese of Leicester.

Leicester Cathedral, Leicester, England. — Leicester Cathedral, Leicester, England

History

There has been a church dedicated to St. Martin on the site since Saxon times. It 1086 this Saxon church was replaced by a Norman one.

As well as parts of the original Norman edifice, most of the church we experience today dates from Victorian times. The architect John Raphael Rodrigues Brandon (1817-1877), better known for his writings than his practice, designed this part of the church. The spire rises to a height of 220 feet (just over 67 metres).

On the south side of the cathedral is The Vaughan Porch designed by John Loughborough Pearson (1817-1897), the architect of Truro Cathedral in Cornwall and also involved with Lincoln Cathedral.

The church is designed in an English Gothic style.

Many visitors now come to the church to see King Richard III's tomb. With the recent discovery of King Richard lll's skeleton in the remains of what was once Greyfriars chapel, Leicester Cathedral's importance increased further.

A ceremony took place in March 2015 as the former king's remains were laid to rest in the cathedral. The ceremony, and the memorial, brought thousands of visitors to the city.

Richard's tomb, done in a simple style, is of Yorkshire fossil stone on a marble plinth. The stone is deeply incised with a cross.

The King Richard III Visitor Centre now has interactive exhibits on the king's life, death and the discovery of his grave. King Richard III remains the last English king to die in battle.