BONES, crypts and coffins have been uncovered at a Plymouth church when diggers came in to begin renovation work. A team of contractors brought in to dig up the floor in Stoke Damerel Church to make way for a new underfloor heating system found more than just old bones; revealing tombs, a marble topped coffin cover and a burial vault which could house a number of coffins inside. So far, 13 piles of bones have been collected, with more expected to be uncovered as the builders finish digging up the far left corner of the church over the next couple of days. The church on Paradise Road is thought to be the oldest in Plymouth, and was first built in the 1200s.
For six weeks, Ryearch Ltd contractors have been excavating the old floor, with the first few weeks of digging being bone free. But as the workers moved from the front 18th century part of the church towards the rear older part, bones and coffins began to appear. A large burial vault roof has been revealed in the centre of the floor and is thought to house a number of coffins inside. Daniel Eaton, site manager from Ryearch Ltd said: "We've found bones and bits before, but not tombs and coffins as such."The room that's been found could be up to two meters deep; the last vault which was found and was a similar size to this in Plympton had 11 coffins inside.""The church is currently undergoing a lb300,000 makeover, with a new floor, underfloor heating and lighting being installed. When the church was extended through the 18th century, people seem to have had scant respect for burials as bones were all over the place and must belong to all sorts of people."
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