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 a special church in Leicester, England. It was started in 1353 by Henry of Grosmont, 1st Duke of Lancaster. The name "Newarke" means "new work" in Latin. It helped people tell this church apart from the older St Mary de Castro church nearby.
Duke Henry built this new church to hold an important holy item: a piece of the Crown of thorns. This piece was given to him by John II of France. Because of this special relic, the church became a popular place for people to visit on pilgrimage (a religious journey). A writer named Leland saw the church around 1540. He said it was "not very great...but exceeding fair," meaning it was beautiful. The church was later closed down around 1547, like many other religious places at that time.
Important Burials at the Church
The Church of the Annunciation of Our Lady of the Newarke became a significant burial place. Many important people from the House of Lancaster family were buried here.
- Henry, 3rd Earl of Lancaster: An important nobleman.
- Henry of Grosmont, 1st Duke of Lancaster: He was the son of the 3rd Earl and the grandfather of Henry IV of England.
- Constance of Castile, Duchess of Lancaster: She was the second wife of John of Gaunt and the daughter of Peter of Castile.
- Mary de Bohun: She was the first wife of Henry IV and the mother of Henry V of England. She passed away before Henry IV became king.
- Mary Hervey: A member of John of Gaunt's household. Her tomb was later moved to the chapel of the Trinity Hospital, where you can still see it today.
Some old records suggest that the body of Richard III of England was displayed at this church. This happened after he died in the Battle of Bosworth Field. His body was then buried at the Greyfriars priory.
What Remains Today?
Today, only two arches from the original church building are left. You can find them preserved where they originally stood. They are now part of the Hawthorn Building at De Montfort University. The public can visit them in the university's heritage centre.
See Also
Leicester has other interesting museums and historical sites:
