Archaeologists find rare artifacts among floorboards of English manor house


An archaeologist unexpectedly discovered medieval manuscripts, 16th-century clothing, and Tudor books among the many artifacts found behind the floorboards of Oxburgh Hall in Oxborough, England.

The most interesting find was a 15th-century manuscript that National Trust Curator Anna Forrest thought was part of a portable prayer book that may have belonged to Sir Edmund Bedingfeld, the builder of Oxburgh Hall.

Oxburgh Hall is a terraced house belonging to the Bedingfeld family, and it is now a tourist attraction.

The discoveries were made during a restoration project after major structural problems on the roof were discovered in 2016. Because of the Covid-19 pandemic, archaeologist Matthew Champion worked mostly in isolation.
Curator, Anna Forrest, stops one of the discoveries from under the floorboards

Curator, Anna Forrest, stops one of the discoveries from under the floorboards
Credit: From Mike Hodgson / National Trust

“We were hoping to learn more about the history of the house during the renovation work and have commissioned paint analysis, wallpaper research, and building and historic graffiti recordings,” said Russell Clement, general manager at Oxburgh Hall. “But these findings are far above anything we expected to see.”

Building is ‘giving up his secrets’

Champion carefully conducted a ‘finger tip’ through the pound, and he found a treasure chest of artifacts in two massive, ancient rats. One of the rat’s nests was filled with more than 200 pieces of textile, fragments of early music, pieces from early printed pages, and handwritten documents.

Champion, however, credits the builders with discovering two of the most important finds: one was the 600-year-old manuscript, and the other a book called the King’s Psalms, dating from 1568. The book was mostly discovered intact, and it only one other known specimen is in a British library, according to Champion.

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“These objects contain as many clues that confirm the history of the house as the retreat of a devout Catholic family, who have maintained their faith through the ages,” Clement said. “We will tell the story of the family and these findings in the house, now we are reopened after attraction.

“This is a building that is slowly revealing its secrets. We do not know what else we might encounter – or what may remain hidden for future generations to reveal.”

Oxburgh Hall is currently a nearly $ 8 million restoration and repair program initiated in 2016 to repair the roof. All the remaining pun has been removed and bagged to catalog in the future.

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