Now is the winter of our discontent
Made glorious summer by this sun of York;
And all the clouds that lour’d upon our house
In the deep bosom of the ocean buried.
Now are our brows bound with victorious wreaths;
Our bruised arms hung up for monuments;
Leicester is famous most recently since the reputed remains of King Richard III were discovered under a parking lot at the site of the former Greyfriars Church. There has been much academic debate about the identity of the remains, but in 2013, it was announced that DNA evidence confirmed that the bones were those of the king. In March 2014, the remains were re-interred in a tomb inside Leicester Cathedral, and the entire city has been caught up in the excitement.
We made our way to Leicester, arriving just before noon, and trusting our GPS, drove around in circles for a while looking for a parking place. I’ve learned my lesson – if you plug in an exact address, you won’t be able to get there! We did find the entrance to a parking garage after driving past it twice, and made our way down a narrow street past the law courts, following the sound of bells being rung at the Cathedral. Along the way I noticed a small plaque on a building that indicated the remains of Richard had been found near that spot. Of course, I didn’t take a picture. Turning the corner, we entered the square in front of the cathedral
Leicester Cathedral in the sunshine
Once inside, we were advised that the Cathedral was to be closed at 1pm for a wedding, but that we had ample time to look around and take photographs. Perhaps this warning had had some effect on others, since there was no long lineup of tourists.
The tomb of King Richard III inside Leicester Cathedral
Richard’s tomb is placed in a chapel behind the altar and is starkly beautiful in its modernity and simplicity. The richly embroidered funeral pall and a replica of the king’s crown are displayed nearby.
A replica of Richard’s crown
The richly embroidered funeral pall features citizens of the city from the time of Richard to the present day,
Leaving the cathedral, we paused for lunch and then explored the Guildhall which dates back to 1390. The building has at various times been used as a theatre, library and police station in addition to its role as council chambers and courthouse. Today it was also being used for weddings, and a singer was setting up his equipment in the courtyard.
The interior of the Guildhall is ready for a wedding
I was surprised to see that a collection of very old books in the library is just locked up in glass covered shelves with no apparent environmental control. One of the books is a rare 15th century New Testament in Greek, and I hope it at least will be preserved properly.
Saturday was market day in the city, and the streets were filled with stalls selling meat, vegetables, cheese and anything else you could want. I chatted briefly with one vendor in Italian (she was selling Italian hams and cheese) and there were also French, German and Dutch stalls.
Most of the vegetable sellers were located in a large covered area in front of the Corn Market building. The air was full of their cries, “Strawberries”, “Cauliflower”, etc – and I paused to film the sights and sounds. Two fellows rather rudely hinted that I should not stand in front of their stalls – and I thought this was a strange way to welcome potential buyers.
Perhaps a long-lost relative?
The fishmonger’s stall in Leicester Market
Richard III souvenirs in a shop window
Our final stop for the day was the New Walk art gallery and museum, where King Richard’s prayer book was on display in a glass case. It was opened to a page where the scribe had added personal prayers for the king:
“Lord Jesus Christ, deign to free my, your servant King Richard, from every tribulation, sorrow and trouble in which I am placed…hear me, in the name of all your goodness, for which I give thanks, and for all the gifts granted to me, because you made me from nothing and redeemed me out of your bounteous love and pity from eternal damnation to promising eternal life”
Barry's Travels 