NHER 43130 (Monument record) - Post medieval dene hole and human remains, Ten Bell Court

Service tunnel (in fact, above ground, built into base of flats) under Ten Bell Court, flats built in 1970s.

January 2006.
Human remains reported by BT workers. In tunnel under no 36 (TG22500876) one human femur found on pile of concrete. At kink in tunnel between nos 32 and 33 (TG22490875) one human fibula, a tibia and upper portion of skull – small but mature, probably female – arranged on offset of wall. These bones had clearly been found by other persons at some time in the past and placed here, the bones do not all come from one individual. They are no doubt remnants of St Benedict’s churchyard cleared in 1972 (see Mon 1431).
At TG22490873, under no 28, where the floor of the tunnel is sand, a collapse was noted approximately 1m in diameter and 1.5m deep with a small tunnel leading off. This may indicate the presence of a chalk mine shaft, known to occur in this area.
Bones to be reinterred on site on direction of the Archdeacon.
City Engineers have been made aware of the collapse and have instructed the site owners to deal with it [1].
E. Rose (NLA) 24 January 2006.