SearchA team from Royal Agricultural University and Wessex Archeology have recently discovered that a cave dwelling in Derbyshire, once thought to date back to the 18th century was, in fact, a dwelling back in the 9th century.
They believe it was the home of the Anglo-Saxon King Eardwulf. Legend and folklore tell of the King who was deposed in the year 806. He moved to the Anchor Church Caves where he slept, prayed and lived in the three rooms and a chapel. He lived as a hermit but would have received visitors to pray with him. He was later made a saint—St. Hardulph. He died in 830 and is thought to have been buried at St. Mary and St. Hardulph Church in Breedon on the Hill in Leicestershire. In the later 9th century, Viking marauders invaded and killed huge numbers of the local people.
The cave is carved out of soft sandstone rock with doorways, windows and pillars. It was modified in the 18th century by Sir Francis Burdett who used it as a summerhouse and picnic spot. His improvements included doors, windows with frames and steps. The image from 1895 shows a view of the door.
This is now thought to be the oldest intact domestic interior in the United Kingdom and is part of a project to explore over 170 cave houses in the English Midlands.
