THE almost complete skeleton of a 5th century Anglo- Saxon woman was discovered in Bidford 40 years ago.

The Journal of 1971 reported: “The find was made not far from the site of an Anglo- Saxon burial ground in which more than 200 graves and cremations were discovered in the early 1920s.

“Stephen Ball, the Stratford archaeologist who stumbled upon the skeleton, breaking the skull while digging in gravel three feet below the surface, described the burial as a ‘rich’ one in terms of the grave goods found.

“Three bronze brooches, about 40 amber, glass and paste beads, a bone-handled knife and a leather purse with a clasp were found the remains, which was that of woman in her late 20s or early 30s, and about 5ft 7in tall. The skeleton was lifted from its grave last Thursday and taken to Aston University, Birmingham, for examination and conservation treatment.”