The design and making of Richard III’s tomb has been a great team effort; a challenge and a privilege for all of us involved.
Our combined efforts have created an appropriate space in which to lay Richard III’s remains to rest, with a tomb fit for a King of England. Hopefully the effort required to do this is not obvious; only a peaceful space with a fine memorial at the heart of the Cathedral.
One of the highlights of the whole project for me has been selecting and working with some of the finest craftspeople in England. It has been a pleasure seeing one’s design realised to the highest of standards and brought to life in the Cathedral. This wonderful short film by Alex J. Wright shows just a little of the skill and care taken by James Elliott and his team in shaping this tombstone out of a 6-tonne block of Swaledale Fossil. We also see specialists such as Thomas Greenaway inlaying the royal coat of arms in the traditional 16th-century pietra-dura technique and Gary Breeze with his assistant Stuart Buckle carving the lettering and boars on the elegant Kilkenny marble plinth.
Architect James McCosh of Van Heyningen and Haward
