Most significant archaeological dig at the Tower of London in a generation reveals new insights into the Tower’s medieval past

The Chapel Royal of St Peter ad Vincula has stood as the parish church of the Tower of London 
for over 500 years. As a final resting place for many who lived or were imprisoned within the 
Tower’s walls - including three Queens and two Catholic Saints - it undoubtedly has a few 
stories to tell, but much of its earlier history remains unknown. Now, finds from the most 
significant excavation at the Tower in a generation are beginning to shed light on both the 
development of its chapel, and some of the people connected with it.

This year, Historic Royal Palaces, the independent charity that cares for the Tower of London
- which is protected as a scheduled monument - has undertaken a major excavation to prepare 
the Chapel for the installation of a new lift, as part of its commitment to make the site more 
accessible for visitors. Work on the project began over six years ago, when a trial pit unearthed 
two skeletons buried outside the Chapel, which have since become the first to undergo modern 
scientific analysis - undertaken in partnership with Cardiff University and Historic England. 
The analysis of these individuals, who are likely to have been members of the Tower 
community who died in the early sixteenth century, provides for the first time a rare glimpse 
into the personal lives of the Tower community in this tumultuous period.

This Spring, the first major excavation ever to be undertaken outside the Chapel - and the first 
in the Tower for over 30 years - has been taking place, revealing more of the fortress’s secrets. 
This new excavation, conducted by Pre-Construct Archaeology and led by the Historic Royal 
Palaces curators - with advice and consent from Historic England - has uncovered the remains 
of more than 20 individuals, along with some tantalising hints of the Chapel’s earlier history, 
making it the most significant dig at the Tower for a generation.

Amongst the many important finds is a 14th century collection of burials, which may be a mass 
grave, possibly related to the ‘Black Death’. Three skeletons from the late 12th or early 13th
century, have also been uncovered. These people appear to have been buried in coffins, which 
is unusual for the period and may indicate high-status burials. Alongside this were several 
significant small finds, including a fragment of a burial shroud, a rare discovery given that 
textiles do not usually survive in this context. A separate burial also contained two 12th to early 
13th century pots containing charcoal, which are exceptionally rare examples of medieval grave 
goods only found once before in England. These finds will now be subject to further scientific 
analysis to enhance our understanding of these individuals, their deaths and their burials.

Excitingly, the dig has also revealed intriguing evidence of the Chapel’s architectural 
history. The current Chapel was built in 1519-20 after a fire burnt down a previous iteration 
(built by King Edward I in 1286-7) in 1512. Evidence of a large-scale burning event has been 
discovered, along with the foundations of that now lost building. In addition to this, a 
compacted layer of Reigate stone discovered during the excavation could date to even earlier 
and potentially be related to works undertaken by Henry III in 1240. Separately, a large section 
of wall and possible floor surface the dig has uncovered may even be part of Henry I’s 12th
century chapel, about which very little is known.

This is the first major archaeological dig in this part of the Tower of London and therefore 
offers an exciting opportunity to revolutionise our understanding of the building and those 
that stood before it – re-drawing the map of the medieval fortress. Further assessments and 
analysis on all the finds will be carried out in the coming years, with the hope of uncovering 
even more insight into the Tower’s long history.

Alfred Hawkins, Curator of Historic Buildings at Historic Royal Palaces, said 
“Undertaking these two excavations has provided us with a generational opportunity to 
enhance our understanding of the evolution of the Chapel of Saint Peter ad Vincula, and the 
buildings which stood before it. Alongside this, through undertaking a rigorous scientific 
assessment of the remains encountered in 2019, we have been able to start to build up a more 
detailed picture of the individual lives of the people who lived, died, and worshiped within the 
chapel, which will only be enhanced through the results of the current, larger excavation.
These excavations were essential as part of our mission to provide greater access for people to 
visit this important place of worship, but they have also given us an amazing opportunity to 
explore the site in more depth than ever before, and I’m looking forward to starting analysis 
on some of the other amazing finds we have uncovered along the way.”

Dr Katie Faillace, based at Cardiff University’s School of History, Archaeology and 
Religion, said: “The new excavations provide the opportunity to transform our understanding 
of the Tower’s community. Our work uses a biomolecular technique known as isotope analysis, 
which tells us about health, diet and mobility in the past, all from a tiny fragment of a tooth. 
This cutting-edge method has unparalleled potential for reconstructing the experiences of the 
people who lived and died at the Tower, allowing us to build a rich picture of individuals’ lives.”

Dr Jane Sidell, Principal Inspector of Ancient Monuments at Historic England, said:“Together we've struck a balance between creating lift access to a fascinating part of the Tower 
of London, with the complexity of carefully managing a hugely significant and archaeologically 
rich site. We're already gaining insight into the residents of the Tower in a way we have never 
been able to do before. But this is just the tip of the iceberg - there is so much more to learn 
through further analysis about the people as well as the buildings of one of England’s most 
evocative historic monuments."

Notes to Editors

For further information and images please contact the Historic Royal Palaces Press Office via press@hrp.org.uk / 020 3166 6166

Historic Royal Palaces is the independent charity that loves and looks after six of the most 
wonderful palaces in the world. The palaces are the setting for the stories that shape us all, and 
we’re bringing them to people in ways that mean more to them. We want everyone to find 
themselves in the spaces and stories we share.
Registered charity number 1068852. For more information visit www.hrp.org.uk

Cardiff University is recognised in independent government assessments as one of 
Britain’s leading teaching and research universities and is a member of the Russell Group, 
the UK’s most research-intensive universities. The 2021 Research Excellence Framework 
found 90% of the University’s research to be world-leading or internationally excellent. 
Among its academic staff are two Nobel Laureates, including the winner of the 2007 Nobel 
Prize for Medicine, Professor Sir Martin Evans. Founded by Royal Charter in 1883, today the 
University combines impressive modern facilities and a dynamic approach to teaching and 
research. The University’s breadth of expertise encompasses: the College of Arts, Humanities 
and Social Sciences; the College of Biomedical and Life Sciences; and the College of Physical 
Sciences and Engineering. Its University institutes bring together academics from a range of 
disciplines to tackle some of the challenges facing society, the economy, and the 
environment. More at www.cardiff.ac.uk

The excavations were planned in partnership with Historic England. 
Scheduled Monument Clearance, a process administered by Historic England on behalf of 
the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, was granted for this work.
Historic England  
We are Historic England, the public body that protects and brings life to the heritage
that matters to us all, so it lives on and is loved for longer. From the extraordinary to
the everyday, our historic places and spaces matter. From community centres to
cathedrals, homes to high streets, markets to mills – there are special places we all
choose to hold onto, the legacy we want to pass on and the stories we continue to
tell. That’s why we work together with people across England to discover, protect
and bring new life to our shared historic environment, providing advice, knowledge,
support and services. Follow us on social media @HistoricEngland. 
Historic England and planning
Central to our role is the advice we give to local planning authorities, government
departments, developers and owners on development proposals affecting the
historic environment. In our planning role, we were consulted on more than 12,000
applications in 2024-25, over 99% of which we responded to within the 21-day
response target. Of these, we formally objected to just 1%.
For more information about our planning services,
visit: https://historicengland.org.uk/services-skills/our-planning-services

The 2019 analysis was supported by the London and Middlesex Archaeological Society 
(LAMAS) Research Grant. London and Middlesex Archaeological Society (LAMAS) 
is a charity formed in 1855 to investigate the antiquities and early history of the Cities of 
London and Westminster and the historic county of Middlesex. It does this by promoting 
research into London's history, archaeology and historic buildings and supporting the 
publication of the results of such research through its journal Transactions, lectures and 
conferences.
Registered charity no. 267552. For more information visit https://www.lamas.org.uk