County’s very own King Richard!
THE man who founded the University of Leicester Archaeological Services (ULAS), which led to the discovery of Richard III, has retired after 25 years. Dr Richard Buckley founded the services in 1995 after the local authority archaeological unit, where he worked for 11 years as a field officer, closed.
Over the years, he worked on a number of projects in Leicester, including the excavation of the old Shires site, the Highcross Shopping Centre site and, most notably, the discovery of King Richard III.
Dr Buckley, originally from Birstall, said: “We thought that when the Shires was built, that would be the biggest project we would see.
“It turned out not to be the case, and actually Highcross was the biggest.
“When we were working on that site, we found so much about the Roman and medieval town.”
By far the most surprising project for Richard, 61, was the discovery of the so-called “king in the car park” in 2012.
He said: “Richard III was one of the most exciting things that happened.
“It all started because we were approached by an amateur interested in Richard III. We were then thinking about a strategy for investigating the site. We didn’t know the layout of the church, or whether it was true that he had been buried there.
“It was an amazing bit of luck that the first trench we dug was in the right place.
“It was so exciting and surprising to find, and really great that the public took such an interest.”
Leicester city mayor Sir Peter Soulsby passed his best wishes and gratitude onto Dr Buckley.
He said: “Richard has done more than anybody else in living memory to understand the rich history of over 2,000 years of the city of Leicester.
“He has revealed its archaeology in a way that is outstanding for any British city.
“In his characteristically modest way he has been an utterly brilliant communicator of our history and has won the hearts of Leicester people as much as of his professional teams.
“I know that there is inevitably much focus on Richard’s work and uncovering and interpreting the remains of King Richard III, but Richard’s solid body of work over so many years is what made that find possible and what is at least as important.
“I know that many Leicester people will want to say thank you to this wonderful man and wish him well for the future.”
In his retirement, Richard, who was awarded an OBE for outstanding contribution to archaeology in 2014, hopes to have a bit of a rest and go travelling, but said he wouldn’t be giving up archaeology completely.
He added: “As you get further into a job, you start to do less and less of what you love, which for me is excavation.
“I might go back and start volunteering on excavations – take it back to the beginning.”
Deputy director of ULAS, Vicki Score, said: “Much of what we know about Leicester city today is down to his hard work and dedication.
“Not only is his knowledge of the city’s history unparalleled, but his work building relationships with developers and planners has enabled the excavation of much of Roman and medieval Leicester.
“Having the opportunity to work with, and learn from, Richard has helped to shape my career.
“He has always been supportive and encouraging and his willingness to share his knowledge and expertise and his passion for archaeology have inspired me greatly.
“He will be very much missed by all at ULAS.”
Huw Barton, head of School of Archaeology and Ancient History, said: “The school is extremely proud to have worked in partnership with Richard and ULAS for more than 20 years.
“It is a remarkable contribution to UK heritage to have completed over 3,000 archaeological projects over that time.
“Richard has received many personal accolades along the way, and jointly with ULAS they have gained international acclaim with the discovery of Richard III.
“The award of the Queen’s Anniversary Prize in 2013, held jointly with the University of Leicester, recognised ULAS’ long record of exceptional research, commercial archaeology and public engagement in history and heritage for which Richard can take much credit.
“Richard and the ULAS staff are an important part of our research and teaching in the School of Archaeology and Ancient History. They provide important opportunities for students to gain professional skills, within CIfA accredited programmes, ahead of their future employment beyond the University of Leicester.
“All of us in the school recognise the value of having a commercial enterprise like ULAS working in partnership with the academic community in the school.
“We all look forward to future collaborations as researchers, educators, and sometimes, as with the wider public, as fans of the archaeological discoveries.”
Professor Nishan Canagarajah, President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Leicester, said: “The work of ULAS and the wider academic team at Leicester demonstrated how advanced academic thinking can reshape our understanding of the world.
“I am tremendously proud of what ULAS and the Richard III team have achieved.
“Theirs is a lasting legacy marking the culmination of the first centenary of the university – and offering hope for more exciting discoveries and innovation as the university prepares for its second century.
“We wish Richard a happy retirement – and he will forever remain our very own King Richard!”