Ancient priory history revealed by find.

Byline: By BARBARA GOULDEN [e-mail]

A LONG lost pillar from Coventry's Benedictine Priory Cathedral - demolished on the orders of King Henry Vlll - has been uncovered after 460 years.

The precise location of the Norman pillar, or pier, had been guessed at by archaeologists working on excavations ahead of the multi-million pound Phoenix Initiative.

But city conservation chief George Demidowicz was resigned to the fact there was no way of ever seeing more of the remains of the great support structures because they lay beneath the foundations of the eighteenth century buildings in Priory Row.

He said: "I knew where the eighth pier in Coventry's Benedictine Cathedral had to be but never suspected I would be able to see it because of the listed Georgian houses built on top.

"These are now used as church offices and are of special architectural interest.

"But then I learned that the diocese was going to replace the windows in a meeting room at the rear of 7, Priory Row and I knew that room should be directly above the eighth pier."

Begging for just a couple of extra days to carry out a dig while the room was out of use, Mr Demidowicz and planning archaeologist Chris Patrick, set about with picks and shovels to dig two metres down through the foundations.

Their calculations were correct and rubble from the lost cathedral was removed to expose the pier - the last support structure in the nave not seen since King Henry Vlll's break with the Pope and his Dissolution of the Monastries began in 1539.

"This pier is a lovely piece of Normanesque stonework and very exciting," said Mr Demidowicz, who took measurements and photographs but by yesterday afternoon was fulfiling his promise to refill the large hole in the office floor.

His discovery was also a case of history repeating itself. In February, 1909, a forerunner of the Evening Telegraph reported the amazing discovery of the same pier during extension work at the rear of number 7, Priory Row, which at that time was the headquarters of the city's Constitution Club.

Other piers and foundations from Coventry's Benedictine Cathedral and adjoining monastery can be seen in Priory Gardens, off Trinity Street.

CAPTION(S):

D22169_2. DIGGING DEEP: Chris Patrick (left) and George Demidowicz with the pillar and (left) how the huge priory cathedral would have looked. Main Picture: JAMES BALFOUR