Leicester's Richard III dig makes encouraging progress

The University of Leicester website had encouraging news of the dig at Greyfriars that hopes to find the body of Richard III:

Progress in our search for the body of King Richard III is exceeding our expectations. The first week could not have gone better. 

That was the message from Richard Buckley, co-director of our Archaeological Services, who is leading the dig to find the medieval monarch at the Greyfriars site in Leicester City Centre. 

Richard presented the latest discoveries from the site at a press briefing held today in the evocative setting of Leicester’s 14th century Guildhall. 

Among the findings so far are medieval window tracery, glazed floor tile fragments, a fragment of stained glass window, part of what may be the Greyfriars cloisters walk and a section of wall which they believe could have belonged to the Greyfriars church. These discoveries have led the team to conclude that it was a high-status building.

Reading between the lines, they have found the Greyfriars monastery, something they were not confident of doing at the start of the dig.

Which must be why Philippa Langley, of the Richard III society, says

“We are in the right area. We have started to get a sense of where Richard’s body may have been brought. I did not think we would be where we are now at the start of the dig. I am totally thrilled. For me, the whole dig is now coming to life.”

The dig is being filmed by Channel 4 for a documentary that will be aired later in the year.