Prittlewell King wins an award for council (From Echo)

Prittlewell King wins an award for council

2:13pm Tuesday 19th December 2006

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The discovery of a Saxon King's burial ground has earned Southend Council a coveted award.

Southend Council representatives were delighted to be recognised at the British Archaeological Awards for the discovery of the tomb adorned with golden crosses, a flagon and bowl.

The site was uncovered by chance as the council was carrying out work for the controversial widening scheme at Priory Crescent.

The dig won the Developer Funded Archaeology Award and Southend Council is now planning a celebration to mark the achievement. The award citation said: "Rarely does any single excavation have the ability to rewrite history, yet such is the case for our winner, a remarkable discovery of an untouched Anglo-Saxon royal burial at Prittlewell in Essex.

"This was the result of a road improvement scheme.

"An Anglo-Saxon cemetery was known from earlier work on the other side of the road, but when the Museum of London Archeological Services began work, they soon revealed the richest Anglo-Saxon burial since the Sutton Hoo ship burial.

"Southend Council generously supported the excavation and encouraged an extensive outreach programme, with a series of exhibitions, a Time Team Programme and articles elsewhere.

"The whole project was a splendid example of the unexpected results of what can happen when you set out to improve a road system and find a prince."

Ann Holland, Southend's executive councillor for culture went up to collect the award at a ceremony in Birmingham.

She said: "It's a fantastic find. To think it was in Prittlewell. If we hadn't been doing the work for Priory Crescent, then we wouldn't have stumbled across it.

"Our long-term plan is to have a state-of-the-art museum which would be completely secure.

"We are looking at all the options to see how we can get funding for it. There is a lot of work to do."

The council is hoping the museum can be incorporated in works on stabilising the cliffs slip on the seafront.

The burial ground was discovered during 2003 and announced to the public in February 2004.

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