Leicester Cathedral

Leicester Cathedral stands in the heart of Leicester, a 19th-century Church of England cathedral built on Roman ruins. It is the fifth surviving medieval church in the city centre and became a cathedral in 1927 after the Diocese of Leicester was created. The cathedral is dedicated to St Martin of Tours, with its present building dating mostly from the Victorian era. The tower and 67-metre spire, designed by Raphael Brandon, were completed in 1862 and 1867. Over 100,000 visitors come each year, many to see the tomb of King Richard III. Richard III’s remains were found in 2012 beneath the lost Greyfriars chapel and reburied here in 2015. The king, killed at Bosworth Field in 1485, had been buried without ceremony in the Greyfriars. His reinterment was attended by Sophie, Countess of Wessex, and Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester. A Roman stone altar, 1,800 years old, was unearthed in the cathedral grounds in 2023. The cathedral’s East Window, installed after the First World War, shows Jesus surrounded by angels and saints, including St Michael and St George. Inside, the nave and chancel are separated by a wooden screen designed by Charles Nicholson. The Vaughan Porch on the south side holds seven sandstone figures of local saints and church leaders. Four chapels occupy the cathedral, and the former school building nearby now serves as St Martin’s House. The cathedral’s gardens include a statue of Richard III, added in 1980. The building remains a focus for remembrance and education, with ongoing archaeological work revealing layers of history.