Medieval Remains Found in Kendal to Be Reburied at Holy Trinity Church
The remains of 66 people found during work on the Kendal Flood Risk Management Scheme are set to be reburied at Holy Trinity Parish Church over the bank holiday weekend.
The group includes adults, children and infants. They were discovered near the edge of the churchyard at Holy Trinity Church, where they had been hidden beneath a boundary wall for hundreds of years. The remains are believed to date from the 11th to 13th centuries.
The discovery has offered a rare look into medieval life in Kendal. It has also provided new evidence that a place of worship may have existed on the site earlier than written records had previously shown.
Public invited to pay respects
The remains will be placed in eight caskets in the Bellingham Chapel at Holy Trinity Parish Church.
Members of the public will be able to visit the chapel and pay their respects before a private reburial takes place.
The chapel will be open on:
- Saturday, May 23, from 9am to 4pm
- Sunday, May 24, from 12.30pm to 4pm
- Monday, May 25, from 9am to 4pm
The reburial marks the end of a long process of archaeological work, study and care following the discovery.
Who was the Kendal Woman?
One of the most striking discoveries was the skull of a medieval woman. It was preserved well enough for experts at Liverpool John Moores University to create a facial reconstruction.
After a public vote, she was given the name Agnes, The Kendal Woman.
Agnes is thought to have been around 50 years old when she died. Researchers believe she lived in and around Kendal during the 1200s. Analysis of her bones and teeth suggests she was likely born inland and may have spent most, if not all, of her life in the local area.
Her remains suggest she lived a hard life. She may have worked outdoors and had a poor diet compared with wealthier people of the time. Her burial position, near the edge of the churchyard, also suggests she was not a person of high status.
A rare link to medieval Kendal
The wider discovery includes 66 people who were buried in the churchyard centuries ago.
Many of the skeletons had been damaged because they were under the churchyard wall for so long. Even so, archaeologists were able to gather important details about the people, their lives and the town they lived in.
Radiocarbon dating confirmed the remains were medieval. This places them between the 11th and 13th centuries. That means some may have lived in Kendal around 900 years ago.
The findings help build a clearer picture of early Kendal. They show that people were worshipping, living and being buried around the church site much earlier than previously known.
Remembering all 66 people
A simple plaque will be placed in the church to remember Agnes and the other 65 people whose remains were found.
The reburial is being handled with dignity and respect, after the remains were disturbed during essential flood defence work.
The discovery has been described as a powerful link to Kendal’s past. It has also shown the need to balance modern infrastructure work with care for the town’s history.
Flood scheme continues
The remains were uncovered during work linked to the Kendal Flood Risk Management Scheme.
The scheme is designed to reduce flood risk in Kendal and improve protection for local homes and businesses. Once complete, it is expected to better protect 1,920 homes and 2,250 businesses from flooding.
Westmorland and Furness Council says the wider scheme aims to increase flood protection in Kendal through a three-phase project. The area has a long history of flooding, including major events in 2004, 2005, 2009 and 2015.
While the flood work is focused on protecting the town’s future, this discovery has also helped uncover more of Kendal’s past. For many residents, the reburial will be a chance to reflect on the people who lived in the town hundreds of years before them.
