The thousands of tourists and school children who have travelled to Bosworth for re-enactments, tours and talks on the decisive War of the Roses battle might want to consider revisiting the area.

Over the last 35 years many have gathered around the stone memorial in a quiet copse of trees with a plaque that reads: "Richard, the last Plantagenet King of England, was slain here 22nd August, 1485."

Except he wasn't.

After a four-year study, historians and archaeologists have concluded that the Battle of Bosworth Field did not take place right next to Bosworth any more than Richard III cried out: “A horse, a horse! My kingdom for a horse!”

The Battlefields Trust, which was given a £150,000 commission to investigate, announced today that the King was actually killed about two miles down the road.

Battlefield experts and historians used soil samples, peat deposits, contemporary documents and maps as clues to pinpoint the site of the infamous battle between the houses of Lancaster and York.

Using references to places like Redmore (or Reed Moor) and Sandyford (a sandy crossing in the marsh) they said they had built up a picture of the landscape.

Despite the announcement, officials refused to give the precise new location of battle because they fear that illegal treasure seekers may target the site.

A spokesman said: “[We] will work to define the boundaries of the battle over the coming months and agree a conservation plan and to ensure protection for the Battlefield for present and future generations.”

The current site was opened as an attraction in 1974 and last year it officially became a museum after a new exhibition space was built.

As well as locating the famous battle the historians say it “is now almost certain” that the legendary Crown Hill, in the nearby parish of Stoke Golding, was indeed the location where Henry was crowned the first Tudor King.

The archaeological survey of Bosworth battlefield has so far produced 22 lead roundshot fired from artillery and bullets fired from early hand guns – more than all the lead roundshot from all the other battlefields of the 15th and 16th century in Europe put together.

Dr Glen Foard, from the Battlefields Trust, who has lead the search, said: "For me the most important thing about the discoveries at Bosworth is that it opens the door for archaeology to explore the origins of firepower.

"In collaboration with the University of Leeds we want to trace this story across Europe."

Since 1985 there has been a heated debate between historians over the true location of the battlefield, with at least four contending sites.

This led in 2005 to the Battlefields Trust being commissioned by Leicestershire County Council, with £154,000 funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund, to undertake a major investigation to resolve the issue.

In an attempt to reach a final conclusion, specialists from various disciplines applied the techniques of battlefield archaeology to search for the site.

The original documentary evidence for the battle and the armies was re-examined, the historic landscape of the area was mapped from documents and archaeological evidence and the soils were examined forensically.

The Battle of Bosworth took place in 1485, at the culmination of the War of The Roses, which consisted of a series of battles fought between 1455 and 1485 by two rival branches of a dynasty for the control of the English throne.

Each family had a rose as its emblem, white for the York family and red for the House of Lancaster. It is thought that over 100,000 lives were lost.

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