The Blue Boar Inn : Univesity of Leicester
The discovery of a notebook in a private collection has led our Richard III archaeological team on a voyage of discovery.
They have reconstructed models of the Blue Boar Inn – reputed to have housed King Richard III before the battle of Bosworth- following the discovery of the notebook containing a measured survey of the iconic local timber framed building.
The survey was made shortly before the inn was demolished in 1836 by Henry Goddard, but was never drawn up and has remained forgotten for over 170 years.
Using the survey notes, the Inn has now been brought back to life not only as a computer model, but also a physical model produced on the University’s 3D printer.
Richard Buckley came across new evidence when looking through the notebooks of 19th century architect Henry Goddard – a member of important Leicestershire architectural dynasty the Goddard family.
One notebook contained extensive notes and measurements of a large timber frame building which Richard immediately recognised as the Blue Boar Inn.
Richard asked Steffan Davies, an architect with experience in historic building drawings, if he could put together computer-aided design (CAD) drawings of the buildings based on Henry Goddard’s plans.
Steffan agreed, and put together a series of drawings as well as a 3D computer model.
This was then passed to the University’s Department of Physics and Astronomy and converted into a scale model using the Department’s 3D printer.
The model shows all the timber framing, the jointing, the moulding of the timbers, the fireplaces and the chamber in which Richard III was said to have stayed.
