Leicester

One of the days I was in Nottingham my friend and I popped over to the nearby city Leicester (pronounced "Lester"). In 2012, Leicester was in the news because a research team found the remains of King Richard III in a carpark near the cathedral. His body was originally buried in 1485 in Greyfriars church in Leicester but the church was later destroyed during the dissolution of monasteries by Henry VIII. 

In March 2015 Richard III's remains were reburied in Leicester Cathedral. The coffin which is buried under the floor was crafted by a direct descendant of his sister and the raised tomb is made of stone from a quarry in North Yorkshire, which is especially fitting as he was the last king of the House of York. 

Most museums in Leicester are free which meant we had low expectations but they ended up being really great! We started at the Newarke Houses Museum which is made up of two historic homes: Wygston's Chantry House and Skeffington House. The interior of the homes alone were well worth the visit.

The museum also had displays of storefronts from the 1950s. We had some questions about the way the prices were written but the museum staff weren't very helpful. Luckily, we ran into a man who was visiting the museum with his granddaughter who answered all of our questions and shared some of his memories of the old money system. I've already forgotten most of the details but I am glad farthings, shillings, and half pennies are no longer used because it sounded very complicated.

They also had this old punch clock with a warning that reads, "...any employee known to ring in or out any number other than their own will be liable to instant dismissal." This machine looks much more complicated than anything I've ever used to clock in for work. 

One of Leicester's most famous sights is the Jewry Wall which is part of the Roman town's public baths. It is one of the tallest original Roman walls in England.

Inside the Jewry Wall Museum we saw a really well preserved Roman mosaic floor and had a fascinating chat with the knowledgeable museum workers. 

My friend is studying Anglo Saxon literature so the museum worker made sure to show us the remains of an Anglo Saxon woman who was found on a construction site. I was impressed with how nice her teeth were but apparently the Anglo Saxons didn't eat refined sugars. 

The museum guys recommended we visit the Church of Saint Mary de Castro. There is some speculation that Geoffrey Chaucer married Philippa de Roet, a lady-in-waiting to Edward III's queen) in this church in 1366. Also, King Henry VI was knighted in this church as an infant. 

St Mary de Castro is unique in that it has two naves. The original chapel was exclusive to the royal family so another chapel and nave was added for others to worship. The original external wall is now an interior wall but received some renovations during Victorian times. 

Our last museum in Leicester was the Guildhall where we learned that the city suffered greatly during the outbreaks of the plague. I couldn't resist taking a selfie with this mask of a person with the plague, as horrifying as it was. 

I am so glad to have been able to visit Leicester. It was a great city and we enjoyed many lovely chats with people at the museums and churches. It was especially interesting to speak with people who took part in the reburial ceremony for Richard III since it feels like history is still being made.