A couple who have been holding hands for 700 years have been uncovered at a 'lost' chapel in Leicestershire.

The centuries-old skeletons were unearthed at the Chapel of St Morrell, a site of pilgrimage in Hallaton during the 14th Century.

Local volunteers had been digging the site, believed to be built on top of a Roman building, two weeks a year for four years.

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A couple who have been holding hands for 700 years have been uncovered at a 'lost' chapel in Leicestershire

'We have seen similar skeletons before from Leicester where a couple have been buried together,' Vicky Score, an archaeologist from of the University of Leicester told MailOnline.

'The main thing is why were they buried out up there? There is a perfectly good church in Hallaton. Was it a special place?'

The chapel may have been an area of pilgrimage. Alternatively, the bodies might have been refused burial in the main church, perhaps because they were criminals, foreigners or sick.

The skeletons are both believed to be of a similar age, but Ms Score said further analysis is needed to know how old they were at the time of death.

The skeletons were unearthed at the Chapel of St Morrell in Hallaton. The skeletons are both believed to be of a similar age, but further analysis is needed to know how old they were at the time of death

Volunteers had been digging site, which was built on top of a Roman building, two weeks a year for four years

They were discovered among nine other bodies from the same period.

THE LOST CHAPEL OF ST MORRELL The Chapel of St Morrell was thought to be a site of pilgrimage in Hallaton, Leicestershire during the 14th Century. The location of the chapel was unknown before research by local historian John Morison suggested its location at Hare Pie Bank where the annual Easter Hare Pie Scramble and Bottle Kicking take place. The excavations found the walls and tiled floor of the chapel as well as fragments of the stone masonry, tiles and lead from the windows. A number of silver pennies dating from between the 11th - 15th centuries have also been found on the site indicating when the chapel was in use. Why people were buried at the Chapel rather than in the main church in the village is unknown but it is possible that this was a special place of burial perhaps for pilgrims. Historian William Burton mentions in 1641 that ‘Halloughton…a place of special holiness (the etymon of the name importing as much as Holy-town) so as sick folks did use to flock thither to die’. Advertisement

One older male was killed by a sharp implement such as a pole axe to the head, presumably in battle.

Another young male was buried in a pit with his legs raised to his chest – possibly the result of a disease.

'One of the most exciting finds was a badge with 'Morrell' inscribed, suggesting this place was an area of pilgrimage,' said Mr Score.

The earliest mention of the chapel in Hallaton was in a will of 1532, but it was only found recently after research by local historian John Morrison.

'Antiquarians over the ages have referred to a chapel somewhere in Hallaton,' he told Leicester Mercury.

'It was a case of piecing evidence together and then getting in geo-physicists to take images of the land from above to locate the spot for our dig.'

The excavations found the walls and tiled floor of the chapel as well as fragments of the stone masonry, tiles and lead from the windows.

A number of silver pennies dating from between the 11th - 15th centuries have also been found on the site indicating when the chapel was in use.

Ms Score said she hopes the dig will fill the gap in knowledge between the Roman and medieval periods.

The skeletons were discovered among nine other bodies from the same period. One older male was killed by a sharp implement such as a pole axe to the head, presumably in battle. Another young male was buried in a pit with his legs raised to his chest – possibly the result of a disease

The excavations found the walls and tiled floor of the chapel as well as fragments of the stone masonry