The Bosworth Battlefield

Abstract

In stark contrast to Hastings, the Bosworth battlefield was only a regional curiosity until after World War II. Its location in western Leicestershire was not advantageous for tourists, nor did the memory of the War of the Roses serve a clear national narrative. Being reminded of a civil war would only renew provincial loyalties rather than promoting nationalism. The combination of these factors resulted in a lesser position for Bosworth Field in the hearts and minds of Britons. The enhanced status of the battlefield was the result of a campaign waged by the Richard III Society, a group sympathetic to the Shakespeare-slandered king slain there in 1485. In the twenty-first century, archaeological discoveries renewed interest in the battle and king. In a larger sense, the recent findings generate questions about the authenticity of heritage sites, which have circled back around to the Battle of Hastings.