Greyfriars, Leicester

Greyfriars Leicester

Greyfriars site superimposed on a modern map of the area. Richard III's burial site is shown by a small dot.
Location within Leicestershire
Monastery information
Other names	Leicester Franciscan Friary
Order	Order of Friars Minor
Established	Before 1230[1]
Disestablished	1535
Dedicated to	Unclear: Possibly Saint Francis of Assisi[2] or Saint Mary Magdalene[3]
Diocese	Lincoln
People
Founder(s)	Unclear Traditionally credited but unlikely: Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester Suggested either: Gilbert and Ellen Luenor, or John Pickering
Site
Location	Leicester
Coordinates	52°38′02″N 1°08′11″W / 52.634007°N 1.136431°W / 52.634007; -1.136431
Grid reference	SK58650434
Visible remains	None[1]

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 1535.^[1] 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.^[4] The grave site was incorporated into the 'Dynasty, Death and Discovery' museum which opened in 2014. In December 2017, Historic England scheduled the site.^[5]