The Battle of Bosworth Field took place on 22 August 1485 and the night before the battle, Richard III’s army made camp in the village of Sutton Cheney where he is reputed to have attended mass in the church of St James. In Re St. James Sutton Cheney [2024] ECC Lei 3, as part of a scheme to create a 12-mile sculpture trail linking sites connected with the battle, the churchwardens sought to introduce a statue of King Richard III into the churchyard.
Although the petition was brought by the churchwardens, the scheme was promoted by Bosworth 1485 (“the promoters”), the body responsible for establishing the proposed sculpture trail; many of the documents filed in support of the petition were derived from the promoters rather than the petitioners. The project is funded by a grant from the Leicester and Leicestershire Enterprise Partnership and match funding by Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council. The sculpture, once installed, would be insured and maintained by the local authority [14].