Mystery medieval skeleton found on Sowley Beach, South Baddesley, in the New Forest, to be given proper burial at St Mary the Virgin

SKELETAL remains of what may have been a medieval murder victim are to be given a proper burial, while mystery surrounds who the person was.

The remains were found in May 2022 on Sowley Beach, South Baddesley, near the mouth of Lymington River, after half the skull became exposed in the mud.

Police were called to remove the body, which was 80% complete – and subsequent radiocarbon testing revealed it had been buried between AD 1450 and 1650.

Scientists at Wessex Archaeology discovered the skeleton was that of a male aged between 20 and 25 years who was 5ft 4¾ tall. He appeared to have suffered a blow to the front of his head before his death.

During the time the person was alive, the deceased were always buried in their parish churchyard, so it is a mystery as to how he ended on the beach.

Research showed the area was once salt marshland, so scientists concluded it was “unlikely” he had drowned, with his body washing up there.

They also said he could have been one of the brothers of the Cistercian Order at Beaulieu Abbey, or one of the estate workers of either Pylewell or Sowley estates.

But someone from either of those would usually have received a proper burial.

Researchers concluded the burial of the body could have been instead a “clandestine” one and the man might have been the “victim of foul play” but added that there was “no clear evidence to suggest this was the case”.

They said the position of the left arm, above the head, “doesn’t fit with a formal burial, but might indicate a lack of care and lack of a shroud”.

But they also said the position of the body, on its back and stretched out, did not fit with someone “blundering around in the dark, drunk, or disorientated in the area and just fell into a bog”. If this was the case, they said, the person would almost certainly have been lying prone, or semi-prone.

Gareth Owen, archaeologist at the New Forest NPA said: “The New Forest has a rich history and heritage dating back to at least the Bronze Age. In medieval times, it was a royal hunting ground, and Beaulieu Abbey was a serene place for Cistercian monks. This medieval person is a mystery, and throws up more questions than answers.

‘We can’t say for sure who he was and how he got there, but what we can do now is give him a proper and respectful burial.’

The funeral for the unknown man is to be held at St Mary the Virgin, South Baddesley, on 21st May at 11am. It will be conducted by the Very Rev Gordon Wynne. All are welcome to attend.

Churchwarden Pat Mennie told the A&T: “The church is delighted to be asked to undertake this historic service.

“As a church they have a history going back much further than their current building and location of just 200 years suggests.

“Their church bell, cast in 1731, is one of the oldest in the area and comes from the original chapel when it was sited by Pylewell House, before church, school, village and road were all moved half a mile north to allow the then-lord of the manor to have fashionable large gardens around the house.

“However, the church is still very much part of the estate with many of the current family attending.”

Albert Marsh funeral directors in Wareham was employed by New Forest District Council to oversee the burial on its behalf.

Speaking to the A&T, branch manager Emma Byron reflected on the “very unusual” nature of this assignment.

“It’s an absolute privilege to be asked to do something like this, and I think it’s absolutely fantastic that he’s going to be able to have a proper burial,” she said.

“It’s very respectful for him that the council are prepared to allow that to happen.”

The skeletal remains will be placed into a handmade wooden casket.

“We’ve never had something quite like this,” Emma continued. “It’s not something a funeral director gets to do very often in their career.”

St Barbe Museum in Lymington is currently carrying out research for an upcoming exhibit on the remains.