Archaeologists called in as demolition uncovers 11th Century remains.
Remains of at least 50 people, all believed to date from 11th and early 12th century, discovered during demolition work to make space for new tower.
The bones of men who may have witnessed the tumultuous events of 1066 in Westminster Abbey, when one king was buried and two were crowned in a year, have been discovered along with the skeleton of a three-year-old child buried under Victorian drainage pipes just outside the wall of Poet’s Corner.
The remains of at least 50 individuals, all believed to date from the 11th or early 12th century – including a man buried in a grand coffin made of Barnack stone from Northamptonshire, whose skull was stolen by Victorian workmen – were found by the archaeologists after a 1950s lavatory block was demolished to make space for a new tower, which will eventually bring visitors up into the attics of the building.
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