In 1969 a North Sea gas pipeline was laid across the Earl of Chichester's land (the Durnford Estate). At the site marked by a yellow pin on this Google Earth view, in the field between The Rings and Middle Field Barn, they stumbled upon the graves of an Anglo Saxon man and woman, 5-6th C, long pre-dating the Cathedral (in the bottom right of the picture) or western suburb of (Old) Sarum (Norman) or any mint (pre-Norman but there was none before Aethelred the Unready 10-11th C) or any village called Stratford (first mention 11th C)  or church of St Lawrence (13th C).

 

The associated grave goods (now in the Salisbury and South Wiltshire Museum) included pottery, elephant ivory purse rings, copper alloy plates, rivets, strap end, dress pin, disc brooches, iron rod and beads.

 

Source

Bruce Eagles, David Algar and Peter Saunders, with a contribution by Kirsten Egging Dinwiddy. 'Two graves near Old Sarum: further insight into early Anglo-Saxon settlement around Salisbury'
Wiltshire Archaeological & Natural History Magazine, vol. 107 (2014), pp. 77–90

 

Image: Google Earth © Google 2020 © Europa Technologies

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Kerry O’Connor

Local History Group

March 2021