18 September 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

Archaeologists find an Anglo-Saxon church at Stoke Mandeville excavation site

Archaeologists working on the HS2 project found the remains of an Anglo-Saxon church during their excavations at the former St Mary’s Church, Stoke Mandeville, Bucks.

The site is located on the new HS2 route and is being thoroughly researched by an LP-Archaeology team in collaboration with HS2’s enabling works contractor, Fusion-JV.

The researchers discovered flint walls creating a square building surrounded by a circular border and graves under the Norman levels. The foundations of the edifice are about a meter wide and have similarities to St Peter’s Saxon Church in Barton-upon-Humber.

Over the last six months, a team of more than 40 archaeologists has excavated and examined the Norman church and associated graveyard. Because the church was built on a light grey compacted foundation band placed by the Normans, any archaeological deposits discovered beneath that band would be pre-Norman.

Flint walls found by archaeologists are believed to have formed part of an Anglo-Saxon church
Flint walls found by archaeologists are believed to have formed part of an Anglo-Saxon church Photo: HS2

There is evidence of Roman roof tiles within the foundations, suggesting that the Saxons used recycled Roman material from a nearby Roman settlement to build the early church.

Dr. Rachel Wood, Lead Archaeologist for Fusion JV said: The work undertaken at Old St Mary’s is a unique archaeological opportunity to excavate a medieval parish church with over 900 years of meaning to the local community. To then find an earlier structure beneath the Norman church is outstanding. To have so much of it remaining, including the walls and even some flooring, will provide a great deal of information about the site prior to the construction of the Norman church in 1080AD. The discovery of this pre-Norman, possible Saxon Church is a once in career opportunity for archaeologists and will provide a much greater understanding of the history of Stoke Mandeville.”

A computer-generated image shows how the Norman church would have looked before it fell into disrepair
A computer-generated image shows how the Norman church would have looked before it fell into disrepair. Photo: HS2

HS2’s head of heritage, Helen Wass, said: “The discovery of a pre-Norman church in Stoke Mandeville allows us to build a clearer picture of what the landscape of Buckinghamshire would have been like over 1,000 years ago.”

A ‘flea catcher’ discovered buried with a gentleman, close to his head, was another unusual find at St Mary’s. The ‘flea catcher’ was a tiny bone pot with a bloodied cloth and a smidgeon of honey. Fleas from the gentleman’s wig would have been drawn to the blood on the rag and would have gotten stick in the honey within the pot.

Findings from the archaeological dig are being shared via a series of open weekends at a field museum on the site of Old St Mary’s Church. Following HS2’s involvement in this year’s Heritage Open days, an extra Field Museum Open Weekend will be held on Saturday 25th and Sunday 26th September.

HS2

Cover photo: Archaeologists working at the site of the old Norman St Mary’s Church have discovered what they believe was an Anglo-Saxon church beneath it. HS2

Related Articles

The 3400-year-old city belonging to a mysterious Kingdom emerged from the Tigris river

30 May 2022

30 May 2022

Archaeologists from Germany and Kurdistan have discovered a 3,400-year-old Mittani Empire-era city on the Tigris River. The ruins emerged on...

2000-year-old passage found after Latrina at Smyrna Theater

28 January 2022

28 January 2022

Archaeologists discovered a 2,000-year-old passage that was 26 meters long and constructed in an “L” form in the theater part...

Rare Tales of Merlin and King Arthur Found in 13th Century Manuscript

17 April 2025

17 April 2025

In a remarkable discovery, a fragile manuscript fragment dating back to the 13th century has been found hidden within the...

Medieval Islamic glass of Scottish Caerlaverock Castle reveals untold histories

23 October 2022

23 October 2022

Discovered by archaeologists at Caerlaverock Castle, eleven kilometers south of Dumfries on Scotland’s south coast, a trio of Islamic glass...

Archaeologists Unearthed a 1000-year-old Medieval Game Collection in a Castle in Southern Germany

4 June 2024

4 June 2024

Archaeologists found a collection of medieval game pieces at a forgotten castle in southern Germany. Among the discoveries are a...

The impressive Statue of young Hercules unearthed in Philippi, Northern Greece

24 September 2022

24 September 2022

A larger-than-life youthful Hercules statue dating to the 2nd century A.D. have been found in the ancient city of Philippi...

Early Anatolian Genes: Genetic Links Between Girmeler Mound and 17,000-Year-Old Pınarbaşı Skeletons

16 April 2025

16 April 2025

Recent archaeological excavations at Girmeler Mound, located near the ancient Lycian city of Tlos in southwestern Türkiye, have not only...

2,300 Years Old First Complete Ancient Celtic Village and Roman Settlement Discovered in Munich

22 October 2023

22 October 2023

Archaeologists have discovered an ancient Celtic village and evidence of a smaller Roman settlement in Munich, Germany. The 2,300-year-old Celtic...

3000 years old wooden wishing well discovered in Germany

7 January 2023

7 January 2023

In the town of Germering, in the Germany state of Bavaria, archaeologists have unearthed the remains of a well-preserved Bronze...

Mosaics found in Türkiye’s Sinop belong to dining room of a wealthy family

24 June 2023

24 June 2023

The pebble mosaics unearthed during the excavation of a building complex in the province of Sinop on Turkey’s Black Sea...

Rescue work begins on a 160-year-old shipwreck, the largest and best-preserved wooden shipwreck ever discovered underwater in China

3 March 2022

3 March 2022

Rescue work has begun on a 160-year-old shipwreck in China, the largest and best-preserved wooden wreck ever discovered underwater. This...

Unusual Potter’s Signature or Graffito found during excavation of a Roman tile kiln in England

2 August 2023

2 August 2023

Cotswold Archeology and a team of volunteers have found an unusual potter’s signature or graffito in Minety, a village in...

Archaeologists Discover Old Bulgarian Inscription and Rich Finds at Nikopol Fortress Excavations

2 September 2025

2 September 2025

This summer’s archaeological season at the Nikopol Fortress has yielded one of the most remarkable discoveries in recent years: an...

Birkleyn Caves is “the Place Where The World Ends”

18 January 2025

18 January 2025

The Birkleyn Caves were known as “the place where the world ends” and as “the place where the water of...

The Cairo University archaeological mission unearths the tomb of Ramses II’s royal treasurer at Saqqara necropolis

1 November 2021

1 November 2021

Archaeologists working at the Saqqara necropolis have unearthed the tomb of Ptah-M-Wiah, a high-ranking ancient Egyptian official and head of...