Following the discovery of the remains of Richard III in a car park in Leicester, scientists at Winchester have expressed cautious optimism that they may have identified part of the skeleton of King Arthur ‘the Great’.  King Arthur, who fought the invading Danes more than 1,000 years ago, was renowned as a wise and merciful man who promoted the English language and the establishment of a legal system.

An investigation into remains found beneath the high altar of an old abbey in Winchester found a bone belonging to a middle-aged man from the 9th century. The only documented burials in the site that fit that description were of Alfred the Great, and Edward, his son, also a king. Archaeologists now plan to excavate further and hope to uncover the rest of him.