Secrets of Winchester Cathedral mortuary chests to be revealed

The inventory of the tombs’ contents, believed to be the mortal remains of some of the early royals of Wessex, will be assessed in the coming weeks. They are also thought to contain three bishops, as well as other artefacts.

The Dean of Winchester, the Very Rev James Atwell, said: “This is an exciting moment for the cathedral when we seem poised to discover that history has indeed safeguarded the mortal remains of some of the early Saxon kings who became the first monarchs of a united England.

“Winchester holds the secrets of the birth of the English nation and it does seem that some of those secrets are about to be revealed as future research continues.

“The presence of the bones in the cathedral, where they would have been placed near the high altar and the relics of St Swithun, remind us just how significant the inspiration of the Christian faith was for the foundation of our national life.”

The chests themselves, which rest in the Lady Chapel, have been assessed as part of the cathedral’s conservation works.

The Dean of Winchester, the Very Rev James Atwell

It forms part of a new three-part exhibition coming to the cathedral in the next few weeks, entitled King’s and Scribes: The Birth of a Nation, in the South Transept. The exhibit will also feature the 12th century Winchester Bible.

The project director is the cathedral’s receiver general, Canon Annabelle Boyes, who said: “This welcome news marks a further stage towards achieving our aspirations to tell the stories of the people who have inspired and been inspired by the cathedral.”

Since the 16th century there have been several inspections but recent developments in forensic archaeological study means that the findings can be radiocarbon-dated to more accurately confirm the date of the remains. Experts believe that those interred include Cnut, King of England, Denmark and Norway, his Queen Emma of Normandy, as well as their son Harthacanute.

Cnut, who died in Shaftesbury in November 1035, was originally buried in Winchester’s Old Minster before work on the city’s cathedral had even begun.

The discoveries could make for the country’s first formal national mausoleum – of similar importance to that of St Denis of Reims.

Archaeologists will try to determine the precise contents of each chest and the number of mingled skeleton remains in order to determine how long they lived as well as their sex, physical characteristics and stature.