Abbeys & priories · East Midlands
Greyfriars, Leicester
In or near Leicester.
Greyfriars, Leicester — Franciscan friary and original burial place of Richard III of England.
Wikimedia Commons contributors — see linked file page for photographer and licence licence
Plan your visit
- Typical visit
- 45 min–1.5 h
- Nearest railway station
- Leicester · 0.9 km
- Paid entry
- Family-friendly
- Wheelchair accessible
Getting there & planning your visit
To visit Greyfriars in Leicester, the nearest railway station is Leicester, located 0.9 km away. Entry is paid, and the site is wheelchair accessible. You can use the postcode LE1 5NR for sat-nav directions.
About
Greyfriars, Leicester is an abbey, priory, or monastic site in the United Kingdom. Records date its origin to 1201. Heritage designation: scheduled monument. Wikidata describes it as: "Franciscan friary and original burial place of Richard III of England". Coordinates: 52.6340°, -1.1364°.
Photo gallery
See it from the streetimagery from 2019
Imagery © Mapillary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0
Heritage listing
Greyfriars, Leicester, was a friary of the Order of Friars Minor, commonly known as the Franciscans, established on the west side of Leicester by 1250, and dissolved in 1538. Following dissolution the friary was demolished and the site levelled, subdivided, and developed over the following centuries. The locality has retained the name Greyfriars particularly in the streets named "Grey Friars", and the older "Friar Lane". The friary is best known as the burial place of King Richard III who was hastily buried in the friary church following his death at the Battle of Bosworth. An archaeological dig in 2012–13 successfully identified the site of the Greyfriars church and the location of Richard's burial.
From the Historic England List Entry under OGL v3.
Summary from the official site
The King Richard III Visitor Centre in Leicester offers an interactive experience that explores the life and legacy of King Richard III. Visitors can engage with displays detailing his rise to power, the mystery surrounding the Princes in the Tower, and the archaeological discovery of his remains beneath a car park.
Read more on the official property page.
From the Wikipedia article
Greyfriars, Leicester, was a friary of the Order of Friars Minor, commonly known as the Franciscans, established on the west side of Leicester by 1250, and dissolved in 1538. Following dissolution the friary was demolished and the site levelled, subdivided, and developed over the following centuries. The locality has retained the name Greyfriars particularly in the streets named "Grey Friars", and the older "Friar Lane". The friary is best known as the burial place of King Richard III who was hastily buried in the friary church following his death at the Battle of Bosworth. An archaeological dig in 2012–13 successfully identified the site of the Greyfriars church and the location of Richard's burial. The grave site was incorporated into the King Richard III Visitor Centre which opened in 2014. In December 2017, Historic England designated the site as a scheduled monument.
Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.
- Coordinates
- 52.6340, -1.1364
- District
- Leicester
- Parish
- Leicester, unparished area
- Postcode
- LE1 5NR
- Parliamentary constituency
- Leicester South
- Phone
- +44 300 300 0900
- Established
- 1201
- Nearest railway station
- Leicester — 0.9 km
- Opening
- Mo-Fr,Su 10:00-16:00; Sa 10:00-17:00
Sources
- wikidata: Q5608365 (CC0)
- wikipedia: Greyfriars, Leicester (CC BY-SA 4.0)
- commons: Greyfriars, Leicester site.svg (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Other places nearby
Greyfriars Church
Archaeological sites · 0.0 km
Exhumation and reburial of Richard III of England
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Agnes Archer Evans
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King Richard III Visitor Centre
Museums · 0.0 km
Leicester Cathedral
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Nearby
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Frequently asked questions
- Where is Greyfriars, Leicester?
- Greyfriars, Leicester is in the West Midlands, United Kingdom (postcode LE1 5NR), in the parish of Leicester, unparished area.
- What is Greyfriars, Leicester?
- Greyfriars, Leicester — Franciscan friary and original burial place of Richard III of England.
- How do I get to Greyfriars, Leicester?
- The nearest railway station is Leicester, about 0.9 km away. Drivers can use postcode LE1 5NR.
- When was Greyfriars, Leicester built?
- Built or established in 1201.
- Is Greyfriars, Leicester a listed building?
- Greyfriars, Leicester is officially recognised as scheduled monument listed.
- How do I get to Greyfriars, Leicester?
- The nearest railway station is Leicester, about 0.9 km away. Drivers can navigate to postcode LE1 5NR.