King's burial site found under car park

The story about where King Richard III was laid to rest got even better this week after archaeologists discovered his church – under a car park in Leicester.

The dig to try to recover the body of the king, pictured below, who was defeated at the Battle of Bosworth in 1485, has unearthed the long-lost Franciscan Friary where his coffin is believed to have been placed.

The exact whereabouts of the friary, also known as Grey Friars, has been lost over time, but now a team from the University of Leicester believe they have found it.

Richard Buckley, the project’s lead archaeologist, said: “The discoveries leave us in no doubt we are on the site of Leicester’s Franciscan Friary.”

After digging three trenches in the council car park the experts have found evidence of a passageway with a tiled floor, indicating a cloister walk.

He added: “Finding the choir and high altar is now especially important as that is where Richard III is recorded as having been buried.”

It brought back memories of the story in Four Centuries at The Lion Hotel when Henry Tudor decided to cross from Wales into England at Shrewsbury in August 1485 on his way to do battle with Richard III, pictured below, at Bosworth Field.

But Shrewsbury’s then first resident, Thomas Mytton, refused to let him over the Welsh Bridge, saying: “We know no King but Richard, Henry Tudor shall not enter this town but over my belly,” i.e. over his dead body.

However, after seeing Henry’s large army and following advice from colleagues he decided it was more prudent to let Henry into Shrewsbury.

So as not to lose face, Mytton lay in the road on the bridge ‘belly upward’ for Henry to step over him.

The royal visitor is believed to have stayed at Tudor House, which is still there on Wyle Cop below The Lion, before marching to Bosworth where Richard III was killed.

After the battle Henry became Henry VII, ending the War of the Roses and the beginning of the Tudor dynasty.

To find out more about this Shrewsbury link to Richard III signed copies of the book are available for £6.50 including postage in the UK and £7.50 anywhere in the world by emailing John@jbutterworth.plus.com