Historian Graham Phillips has announced his belief that the remains of King Alfred the Great, the 9th-century monarch who fought against Viking invasions, have been discovered beneath a car park in Winchester.
Phillips, founder of Strange Phenomena magazine, spent 13 years searching for the burial site of the king, who died in AD 899. According to Phillips' research, which he presented on Blaze TV's "Weird Britain," evidence suggests Alfred's bones were moved from their original burial at Winchester Cathedral to Hyde Abbey in 1110. Further building work on the Hyde Abbey site in the late 18th century, supported by a map from 1800, indicates the remains may have been reinterred under the current car park.
This claim emerges as England prepares to play Norway in a World Cup quarter-final match, a pairing that evokes historical parallels with Viking incursions. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle describes dire omens and violence when Vikings first arrived on Britain's shores, including the murder of King Edmund. Alfred, then 23, is credited with rallying the Anglo-Saxon forces, uniting warlords, and ultimately defeating the invaders. His reign is seen as crucial for the survival of Christianity and the Old English language in Britain.
This is not the first time purported royal remains have been found under a car park. In 2012, the remains of King Richard III, the last Plantagenet ruler, were famously discovered beneath a car park in Leicester.
While bones found at the Hyde Abbey site in 1866 were initially proclaimed to be Alfred's, DNA tests in 2013 indicated they belonged to someone from the period after the Norman Conquest, approximately 200 years after Alfred's death. Phillips' theory posits that these were not Alfred's original remains, but were moved during the 18th-century construction.
There are currently no plans to excavate the car park or move any potential remains. King Alfred is remembered for his military leadership, administrative reforms, and patronage of learning. He commissioned the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle and is credited with developing a navy to defend the coast. He also instituted a system of fortified towns, known as burghs, and reformed laws.
Phillips has a history of announcing significant, though sometimes unverified, discoveries, including the alleged grave of the Virgin Mary and the site of Camelot. The discovery of Alfred's potential resting place under a car park is described by Phillips himself as a "bizarre" coincidence, particularly given the upcoming England vs. Norway match.