Bury Richard III in York!

Situated in Wensleydale, nestling on the hillside between the River Cover and the River Ure just 2 miles from the busy little market town of Leyburn is Middleham with its magnificent castle ruins towering over clusters of old grey stone cottages, fine old Georgian and Victorian houses and its two cobbled market squares.

Middleham is noted for three outstanding features - its connection with King Richard the Third, its magnificent Castle (King Richard's childhood home) with the largest keep in the north of England, and in more modern times its horse-training industry.

Richard became King in 1483 much to the joy of the inhabitants of Middleham. His reign, however, was short and he suffered personal tragedies, his eleven year old only son Edward died at Middleham Castle on the 9th April 1484 followed the next year by Richard`s wife Anne who died, aged 28, on March 16th 1485. Richard did not survive his wife long, he died, aged only 31, at the Battle of Bosworth in 1485 fighting valiantly to the last ~ the last reigning English monarch to die in battle and he was greatly mourned here in the north ~ requiem mass is still said in Middleham Church on the anniversary of his death. (Information from Middlehamonline.com).

The castle is in the background in my photograph and the old buildings in the foreground are home to one of the town's racing stables.