Leicester Cathedral

Leicester Cathedral — formally the Cathedral Church of Saint Martin — is a medieval parish church elevated to cathedral status in 1927. It's a dignified building in the Perpendicular Gothic style, with some fine medieval stonework, Victorian stained glass, and a peaceful atmosphere that can feel like a world away from the busy streets outside.

The main draw today is the tomb of Richard III, who was reinterred here with great ceremony in March 2015 after his remains were identified in the nearby car park. The white alabaster effigy and Kilkenny black marble tomb are simple and moving. Entry is free, though donations are welcomed, and the cathedral shop sells a respectable range of locally related books and gifts.

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Richard III's tomb in the cathedral is of plain Kilkenny black marble — deliberately unadorned in contrast to the elaborate resting places of other English monarchs. When he was reinterred here in 2015, it was the first formal re-burial of an English monarch since Henry I in the 12th century, and the ceremony drew thousands of people into the streets of Leicester.

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