Mystery as human remains unearthed
Great Bowden, St Peter & St Paul church human remains found: 12/09/12
HUMAN remains found underneath a church by workmen carrying out structural work have been re-laid to rest.
The gruesome find of two partial skeletons was made by contractors working at Great Bowden’s St Peter and St Paul’s Church.
The bones, including part of a skull, were found close to the north porch and the main church wall which were being underpinned due to major structural movement.
It is believed they pre-date an extension to the church built in the 18th century.
Some of the bones were six feet underground, while others were found at about three feet.
Archaeologists from the University of Leicester were called in to look at the skeletons.
They were then kept safe inside the church while work continued, before being re-interred on July 27, following the end of the underpinning work to re-strengthen the foundations.
The Rev James Shakespeare performed a small service as the skeletons were re-laid to rest.
He told the Mail: “Prayers were said by me according to Church of England protocol. Our Parish Church has such an ancient history, first mentioned in 1220, but is likely to have its origin in the earlier pre-Norman Saxon period.
“Therefore it is difficult to say at what point these burials may have taken place. My supposition is that the burials may have taken place in the period before the north porch of the church was built.”
Rev Shakespeare said the underpinning work had been necessary due to subsidence.
Similar discoveries were made at St Nicholas during work on the extension a few years ago.
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Wednesday 22 May 2013
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