During my recent stay in Leicester, one of the must-see spots was the exhibition in the Guildhall dedicated to the Greyfriars Dig under the heading ‘Richard III:  Leicester’s Search for a King’.

We went as part of the ‘Richard III Walking Trail’, a plan for which can be obtained from the Visit Leicester Centre.  The trail takes the visitor around eight places, which have connections with Richard III, starting from the site of the Blue Boar Inn and ending with the Guildhall.  Unfortunately, but understandably, No.6 of the tour, the actual Greyfriars site, was not accessible.

We got to the Guildhall later in the afternoon and the queue was not too daunting.  I just turned my back to take another photograph of the Cathedral and we were nearly in.  The real queuing only started inside to see the various displays.

The exhibition details the various aspects of the archaeological research.  Having read extensively about the dig, it did not offer many new insights, but it was nice to see it all ‘face-to-face’.   It also includes 3D prints of Richard’s skull, showing the horrific injuries he suffered, and of the Blue Boar Inn.  Also on display were medieval masonry and bits of tiles found during the dig.

For the general public, who would probably not have been that interested in the dig while it happened, and only heard about it in passing, the exhibition offers a very good insight into the various disciplines which were involved in finding and identifying Richard.

All in all I found the exhibition interesting and well-designed.

(Photograph of Richard III statue in Castle Gardens, Leicester, by D Preis)

Tags: Leicester, Leicester Greyfriars Dig, Richard III