The Eastleigh - Bishopstoke Roman Lead Coffin

During March 1985, considerable interest was aroused by the discovery of a six-feet lead coffin complete with skeleton in the Winchester area. An official from the archaeology department there commented: “We have found hundreds o f graves in this area as it was the eastern burial ground of the ancient Roman settlement, but none of them contained lead coffins. The fact that this one was made of lead and buried deep in the ground indicates that it must be the grave of a very wealthy or important person.... ”

But in the Eastleigh and District area, it has all happened before! Early in 1864, the permanent way of the South-Western Railway passing through the locality was in need of repair. Accordingly, on Saturday 16 January, a gang of men was sent to dig for gravel. The exact location of their operations is variously described as: “.... a piece o f land belonging to Mr.Chamberlayne of Cranbury Park adjoining the railway embankment about a mile north of Bishopstoke Junction (now Eastleigh Railway Station) ....for many years used for agricultural purposes .... ” and “.... at the rear o f the Meadowbank Hotel (later the Golden Hind and now demolished) . . . but the accompanying map purports to give the precise location.