Church of the Annunciation of Our Lady of the Newarke facts for kids
The Church of the Annunciation of Our Lady of the Newarke was an important church in Leicester, England. It was started in 1353 by Henry of Grosmont, 1st Duke of Lancaster. A "collegiate church" like this one was a special church with a group of priests who prayed together.
The name "Newarke" means "new work." It helped people tell this church apart from the older Church of St Mary de Castro nearby. Duke Henry built this new church to keep a very special holy item: a piece of the Crown of thorns. This relic was given to him by John II of France. Because of this special item, the church became a popular place for people to visit on a pilgrimage.
A historian named Leland visited the church around 1540. He said it was "not very great...but exceeding fair." Sadly, the church was destroyed soon after this visit, during a time when many churches in England were closed down.
The Newarke Church was dedicated to the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. This is a Christian event celebrating the announcement of Jesus Christ's birth. The church's design showed the building styles popular in the Middle Ages.
Today, the original church building is no longer standing. Only a small part of it remains.
Important People Buried Here
The Church of the Annunciation became a significant burial place for important members of the Lancaster family. These were powerful people connected to the royal family. Some of those buried here included:
- Henry, 3rd Earl of Lancaster
- Henry of Grosmont, 1st Duke of Lancaster — He was the son of the Earl above and the grandfather of Henry IV of England, who later became king.
- Constance of Castile, Duchess of Lancaster — She was the second wife of John of Gaunt and the daughter of Peter of Castile, a king of Spain.
- Mary de Bohun — She was the first wife of Henry IV. She died before he became king. She was also the mother of Henry V of England, a famous king.
- Mary Hervey — She was part of John of Gaunt's household and died around 1408. Her stone tomb statue was moved to the Trinity Hospital chapel, where you can still see it today.
Old stories also suggest that the body of Richard III of England was shown at this church. This happened after he died at the Battle of Bosworth Field in 1485. His body was displayed here before he was buried at the Greyfriars priory.
What's Left Today?
Only two stone arches from the original church building still exist. They are kept in their original spot, which is now under the Hawthorn Building at De Montfort University. You can visit the university's heritage centre to see these arches. They are a small but important reminder of the grand church that once stood there.
See also
Leicester has other interesting places to visit:
