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The park contains the remains of the 12th century Leicester Abbey and the ruins of Cavendish House (built in the 17th century by William Cavendish, 1st Earl of Devonshire using stone from the abbey). The house was used by Charles I after the siege of Leicester during the English civil war in 1645; after he left, his soldiers set fire to it leaving the house gutted. The charred stone window frame is still visible today. The abbey ruins contain the memorial to Thomas Cardinal Wolsey, who was laid to rest in the grounds. He died while en route from York to London on 29 November 1530; a statue of him stands next to the Park's cafe.