Researchers who have 'found' Alfred the Great's bones buried under a car park say university is blocking their efforts to dig them up

Published: 11:00, 10 July 2026 | Updated: 11:16, 10 July 2026 Researchers have claimed that a university is blocking efforts to dig up the long-lost remains of King Alfred the Great from beneath a car park. The bones of King Alfred - who led English forces to kill thousands of Vikings during his reign - have been traced to a car park in Winchester, Hampshire, where the former monarch died and was buried. His final resting place is believed to have been discovered just days before England's quarter-final World Cup tie with Norway - one of the ancestral homes of the Vikings.  But after evidence was presented to academics at the University of Winchester archaeology team, the bid to excavate the area and recover the bones was shut down, it was claimed.  Author and historical researcher Graham Phillips claims to have discovered Alfred’s grave after a 13-year hunt.  Matt Everett, of Dragonfly Films, which is behind the revelations, said he has been in touch with the university to help facilitate a dig - but says he has been shunned.  He said: 'They didn’t properly look at or read what I gave them properly. They just said this leads to a dead end. 'They could have sent a bunch of students to scan the ground to look for anomalies. It would be minimal effort and little to no hassle with no damage done. But they have just shut it down. The bones of King Alfred - who led English forces to kill thousands of Vikings during his reign - have been traced to a car park in Winchester, Hampshire, where the former monarch died and was buried After evidence was presented to academics at the University of Winchester archaeology team, the bid to excavate the area and recover the bones was shut down, it was claimed (pictured: Alfred the Great penny) 'They will have their reasons but my feeling is they are not engaging as it was not their idea. 'The academics did the same with Richard III's remains. They don’t like anyone other than themselves proving these theories correct. 'If they don’t engage there is a real danger of history repeating itself.'  Philippa Langley spent years investigating the remains of Richard III.  And in 2010, Langley won the backing of Leicester City Council for a dig and television documentary and contracted the University of Leicester Archaeological Services (ULAS) to undertake the excavations. But after the results were presented to the world, Langley felt side-lined and her name was not on the exhumation licence. The 2022 film The Lost King was mired in controversy after a university executive received damages after the movie portrayed him as dismissive of the project and suggested he tried to keep Langley out of the picture when she was proved right.  Mr Everett added: 'There are so many similarities with Richard III. They are two of Britain’s greatest kings and both are potentially under a car park. Previously discovered bones at St Bartholomew's Church in Winchester were thought to be those of Alfred, but this was later disproved 'It was the same thing for a long time with the woman who fought to excavate the car park for Richard III. 'She was someone from outside mainstream academics. 'She and Graham are respected researchers in their communities - but they are not academics. 'That poor lady suffered a lot of ridicule until she was proven right. We don’t want the country to make the same mistake here. 'The world of academia is arrogant and dismissive. Three months ago we emailed them with the findings and evidence.'  Alfred was best known for saving England from Viking forces in 878, but he also laid the basis for a unified English nation. He died in 899 and his bones were repeatedly moved. He was buried in Winchester Cathedral in 1110 when his remains were moved to Winchester’s Hyde Abbey where they were interred between the bodies of his wife and son.  The abbey was demolished after the dissolution of the monasteries in 1539 and the place left in ruins.  The long–lost remains of King Alfred the Great have been found buried under a car park, a historian has claimed (Pictured: King Alfred statue in Winchester) The find comes just days before England take on Norway and star striker Erling Haaland (pictured) in a quarter-final tie at the World Cup His bones were believed to have been found in 1866 during the construction of a workhouse on the site.  But in 2013, archaeologists proved the bones were dated 200 years after Alfred's death - sparking Graham's interest and search.  Mr Everett said: 'We wanted to do a full dig. This is arguably Britain’s greatest king. The country want to know what happened to him. 'People want to find it. It is exciting. After a lot of back and forth with academics they have been shunning us. 'We need permission and we need the equipment. But hopefully pressure from the media will carry a lot of weight and make them take action. 'The research speaks for itself.' Mr Everett said they would need permission from Winchester City Council for the excavations and that backing from the university would carry a lot of weight to secure this. He added: 'Initially we would do a scan. It wouldn’t do any damage and would give us something to suggest it was there. Other than the evidence we have already presented. Author and historical researcher Graham Phillips claims to have discovered Alfred's grave after a 13–year hunt 'It feels certain parts of England are just not interested in their own history. I can’t see any reason why we don’t at least try. You can see the drawing on the map.  'It is massive and is of great historical significance. But it is frustrating when you get close but the doors are closed.'  Speaking previously about his research, Graham Phillips said: 'Bizarrely, like Richard III, the bones are under a carpark. 'The quest has taken me 13 years.'  He told the Sun the discovery is a 'good omen' for England, and a sign they can win this summer's FIFA World Cup.  The possible discovery comes just days ahead of England facing off with Norway in Miami in their quarter-final tie. The match, which kicks off at 10pm on Saturday, will see Thomas Tuchel's side go head to head with the likes of striker Erling Haaland, after Norway knocked out Brazil on Sunday to make the final eight.  Dr Katherine Weikert, Head of the School of Humanities at the University of Winchester, declined to comment on the snub allegations.  She said: 'It is always great to see people excited about medieval history, and doubly so when it comes to Alfred here in Winchester. 'Work undertaken by archaeologists at the University of Winchester more than a decade ago showed that finding the resting place of King Alfred is complex. 'In 2013, University of Winchester archaeologists, together with members of local community historical group Hyde900 and Saint Bartholomew’s Church in Winchester, led an excavation of an "unmarked grave" at Saint Bartholomew’s parish church in Winchester.  'However, as part of these investigations, a University of Winchester archaeologist also examined remains from previous excavations at the site of Hyde Abbey in Winchester.  'This led to the identification of a fragment of a pelvis bone belonging to an adult male dated between 895 and 1017. As there was no early medieval cemetery at the Abbey’s site, and this fragment was excavated from the High Altar, this may represent the only known interred portion of either King Alfred or his son, King Edward. 'The University continues to work closely with Hyde900’s community archaeology project in investigating the Abbey complex.'     The potential location for King Alfred's remains was revealed for the first time in a new episode of the British television series Weird Britain, on Blaze TV last Wednesday, 8 July 2026, at 9pm.