Padstow skeleton 'may be 18th century shipwrecked sailor'
The remains were found on a footpath in Trevone
It's thought a skeleton found on a footpath near Padstow may have belonged to a shipwrecked sailor from the 18th century.
A member of the public found the remains on the path at Trevone, overlooking Newtrain Bay, and reported it to Cornwall Council.
Devon and Cornwall Police and the coroner were also notified, and Detectives and forensic officers attended the scene.
They determined the remains were historic and therefore the area was not considered a crime scene.
A licence to excavate the remains was obtained from the Ministry of Justice and a bone specialist from Cornwall Archaeological Unit (CAU) carefully removed the bones, with support from the person who originally reported the remains, as well officers from Cornwall Council.
Ann Reynolds, Senior Officer for the Rural Historic Environment at Cornwall Council, said: “The remains were located beside an area that is popular for memorial benches and floral tributes and were clearly visible within the coastal path. It was important to act swiftly, first to determine that they were archaeological in nature and then to carefully remove the remains, showing dignity to the deceased and to avoid any distress to visitors to the spot.”
It's thought the remains may have belonged to a shipwrecked sailor and could date back more than 200 years.
Ann added: “Initial investigation has shown that the remains were of an adult, cut off just above the knees, potentially by the construction of an adjacent hedge. Two bones have shown heavy wear patterns, suggesting an exceptionally well-developed upper body muscle mass. This may indicate a life of hard labour, pulling, pushing and lifting.
“Given the location of the remains on the cliff and near the notoriously dangerous approach to Padstow Harbour, it is possible that they are of a shipwrecked sailor, and if so, potentially date to before 1808, after which the Grylls Act decreed that drowned remains washed ashore should be buried in consecrated ground.”
Councillor Martyn Alvey, portfolio holder for Environment and Climate Change at Cornwall Council, said: “I’d like to thank everyone who has been involved in this excavation and shown such care while carrying out their work. I hope that we can discover more about this individual before they are laid to rest once more.”
Further analysis of the remains will take place before an appropriate reburial.