'I phoned mum and said we've dug up a skeleton'

4 hours ago

Becki Bowdenin Ancaster, Lincolnshire

News image — Nick Routledge found human bones in his garden

Becki Bowden / BBC A man crouches down in his garden in front of a wooden fence. He is wearing a blue T-shirt, denim shorts and blue trainers. He has closely cropped hair and a matching beard and is smiling with lips closed. — Nick Routledge found human bones in his garden

When Nick Routledge began digging in his garden, the last thing he expected to find was human bones.

The 43-year-old was doing landscaping work at his home in Ancaster, Lincolnshire, when he uncovered the remains in March 2025.

"I panicked and I phoned my mum," he said. "I was like, mum, mum, I swear we've dug up a skeleton."

After calling the police and sending pictures of the bones, Routledge said officers arrived within 10 minutes.

"The CID turned up, they came straight in, they called it an out of place burial.

"That's when they said 'we're gonna have to treat it as a possible murder scene – you've got 10 minutes to pack a suitcase and leave the house'.

"Before you know it, the house was taped off.

"I had forensic people turn up in white suits with masks on, putting tents up.

"It all got very, very crazy."

Routledge and his wife spent three days staying in his mother's spare room, before being allowed back home. Archaeologists later confirmed the bones dated to the Roman era.

Nick Routledge A collection of human bones in dry soil, including what looks like leg bones. The bones are yellowy brown and partially covered with soil. — Routledge was doing landscaping work when the bones were uncovered

Routledge described how his cousin Chris was operating a digger when they found the skeleton at a depth of about four-and-a-half feet (1.4m).

"We got so deep down, and then, whoa, bones," he recalled. "The first bone we dug up in the bucket was like the femur.

"I grabbed a shovel and we just dug around.

"We found the rest. We laid it on the floor – this is a femur and this must be like the shin bone. And then we found a bit of the hip.

"It's a pair of human legs, there's no denying it."

Becki Bowden / BBC Shards of pottery and other material on a white, clover-shaped table. One of the shards has a black pattern on it, the others are plain and brown in colour. — Routledge has kept the pottery he dug up, which helped to date the find

Routledge said items found in the grave helped to date the skeleton.

"With the remains, we found bits of pottery and some oyster shells," he explained. "The Romans ate a lot of oysters."

The Roman era in Britain lasted for about 400 years between the 1st and 5th centuries.

Ancaster was a town on Ermine Street, the main north-south road in the east of what is now England.

Lincolnshire Police said archaeologists carried out "a detailed assessment of both the bones and the surrounding ground" before confirming the remains were of ancient origin.

The corner of a garden with a green lawn, which looks as if it has been relaid, a brown fence and a green wooden shed. — The corner of Routledge's garden, where the bones were found

The bones were later reburied in a cemetery in nearby Wilsford.

"I was left in the dark on that, to be honest," Routledge said. "Which is a shame, because I was hoping to maybe rebury them where they were originally from."

So does he expect to come across other Roman remains?

"Who knows? Is it just a random burial, or is there more? I don't know.

"Doesn't bother me if there is – it's a good story to tell."

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