If we don’t take an interest in heritage, nobody else will

OPINIONS differ as to the date when the Middle Ages came to an end. It used to be claimed to be the Battle of Bosworth although others name the Reformation which followed less than 40 years later. In any event, the 22nd August 1485 remains a most significant date, a fact that I learned at primary school and then in more depth at grammar school.

I could not turn my back on what learned some 60 or more years ago.

I came to live in this area almost 50 years ago and of course have been intrigued with the Bosworth story ever since. When we formed the new council in 1973 we retained the name Bosworth for obvious reasons. I was part of the county council when the visitor centre was being established and the subsequent various commemorative developments in Leicester in the vicinity of St Mary de Castro. My only regret is that we all accepted the myths about Ambien Hill and the disposal of Richard’s remains for granted. It has only been in the past few years that we can now begin to understand what really happened.

I supported the then battlefield conservation area proposal which was initiated about 15 years ago but of course this is out of date as we now know that the main action took place towards the edge of the conservation area and not at its centre. It was a great honour to be present when Dr Foard revealed the evidence of the actual

Isite of the battle – the collection of cannon shot which is a more intensive accumulation than on any other medieval battle site in Europe.

It only dawned on everyone a few weeks ago that the Mira proposal would compromise the western and southern edges of the site where the forces of Henry and Stanley were drawn up. This information has only just come to light totally reversing previous assumptions and I was therefore delighted that the planning committee agreed almost unanimously to ask Mira to try to seek a realignment of their proposals to try to protect this part of the battlefield.

I remain profoundly disappointed that only five of us at the subsequent planning committee stuck to our guns to try to protect this site. Investigating for archaeological remains is fine but once it is all tarmacked over it will not be possible to picture the manoeuvering of cavalry, foot soldiers and armaments which took place on that fateful day and changed history for ever.

It is far too easy for us to lose our common heritage. I take the view that it is down to all of us to remember where we came from and how we got here. If we do not take an interest in our heritage we can be certain no-one else will. Councillor David Bill. Lib Dems,

Hinckley I was very angry in reading that the planning committee had voted in favour to grant Horiba Mira permission to destroy our HISTORICAL BATTLEFIELD SITE.

I am disgusted with the 12 councillors who voted in favour, but congratulate five councillors who opposed it.

This was a historical battle of Wars of the Roses in 1485 22nd of August, where King Richard III lost his life and was the end of the Plantagenet reign where the Tudor reign of Henry 1V began.

The battlefield site is a registered site that should not be destroyed and should be classed the same as where in the first World War 1914-1918. The battlefields in France and Belgium cannot be used for any purpose.

They have no respect for our English Heritage, but just MONEY (ie GREED).

In the event of this happening on the 83 acre site, will the owners, should any human remains be unearthed, be respectful and give them a Christian burial?

David Mayne, Burbage