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King Richard III Visitor Centre is a museum in Leicester, England that showcases the life of King Richard III and the story of how his remains were discovered in 2012. The centre opened in 2014 on the site of Greyfriars, the medieval friary where the King was originally buried.
The visitor centre occupies a former school (
Official siteMuseum opening times
Richard III of England Archaeological sites in Leicestershire Biographical museums in Leicestershire Museums in Leicester Scheduled monuments in Leicestershire Visitor centres in England {{UK-museum-stub
King Richard III Visitor Centre is a museum in Leicester, England that showcases the life of King Richard III and the story of how his remains were discovered in 2012. The centre opened in 2014 on the site of Greyfriars, the medieval friary where the King was originally buried.
The visitor centre occupies a former school (Alderman Newton's School
Alderman Newton's Boys School was a school in Leicester, England. It was a grammar school then it became a comprehensive school.
The original school was opened in 1784, thanks to money bequeathed by a former Mayor of Leicester, Gabriel Newto ...
) next to the car park where King Richard's remains were found during excavations in 2012/2013. Because of worldwide interest in the discovery, Leicester City Council quickly decided to convert the Victorian school building into a visitor centre.
The project includes a covered area over the grave site, which was in the church of the friary. The centre cost £4 million and was designed by Paul East (Maber Architects).
Access and conservation
The burial site is part of ascheduled monument
In the United Kingdom, a scheduled monument is a nationally important archaeological site or historic building, given protection against unauthorised change.
The various pieces of legislation that legally protect heritage assets from damage and d ...
. In December 2017 Historic England
Historic England (officially the Historic Buildings and Monuments Commission for England) is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport. It is tasked w ...
scheduled a significant part of the site of the former friary. While the associated buildings had long been demolished, the site was assessed as having archaeological potential.
Awards
In October 2018, the Visitor Centre was awarded Best Museum in the Group Leisure and Travel Awards, after being nominated in the same category as theBritish Museum
The British Museum is a public museum dedicated to human history, art and culture located in the Bloomsbury area of London. Its permanent collection of eight million works is among the largest and most comprehensive in existence. It docum ...
and the National Railway Museum
The National Railway Museum is a museum in York forming part of the Science Museum Group. The museum tells the story of rail transport in Britain and its impact on society. It is the home of the national collection of historically significant ...
.
See also
*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 remai ...
* Greyfriars, Leicester
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 level ...
*
References
External links
Official site
Richard III of England Archaeological sites in Leicestershire Biographical museums in Leicestershire Museums in Leicester Scheduled monuments in Leicestershire Visitor centres in England {{UK-museum-stub