Monument record 0050200000 - BLIND LANE, BOURNE END

LEAD COFFIN CONTAINING HUMAN REMAINS FOUND WHILE DIGGING SERVICE TRENCH THROUGH GARDEN OF 48 BLIND LANE, 17 MARCH 1949. REMOVED BY POLICE, & UNGUENT VESSEL FOUND. 9 MAY: FURTHER COFFIN FOUND 13YDS W OF 1ST. PARTS OF 3RD BURIAL FOUND 10 JUNE A FEW YDS FROM 2ND (B1-5,B10).
1ST COFFIN AT NGR (B7).


A lead coffin containing human remains was unearthed in 1949 at Bourne End by a mechanical digger in drainage work on a new building site. It was found at a depth of 4 1/2 - 5 feet, and in addition to the skeleton, which was in fair condition, it contained an unguentarium or lachrymatory vessel, a small pot about 6 1/2" high of coarse earthen-ware, the presence of which is sufficient to indicate that the burial was of a pagan character. The find is dated by Francis Colmer to the middle of the 3rd century. (B11)

A second coffin, with the lid missing, was found 12 ft from the first. The remains of both are in Aylesbury Museum (B3).

(Area: SU 896876) The finds were made in a road now named 'Roman Way' and sited in accordance with this information. (B12)

R/B burial found about 100.0m SW of "The Chilterns" (B13).

"The Chilterns", (SU 8976 8814) is a private house; a find spot in area SU 896 880 is indicated by auth 3, at the extreme NE end of Roman Way, an area developed about 1949.

Investigation failed to locate the precise find spots. Bucks County Museum Accession Register for 1949 is lost. (B14)

Mrs Woolerton, who was present at the time of the discovery, places the site actually at the end of Roman Way at SU 89648802 which agrees with above reports. (B15)

NRHE Inseert 1999 (B16).