Human bones found on North Devon beach may have been a shipwrecked sailor

Human bones discovered at a popular North Devon beach last autumn could well have belonged to a shipwreck victim, initial investigations have revealed.

The bones were found at Saunton Sands on Saturday, October 11 and police were called, but they were soon evaluated as a historic discovery and not a police matter, with responsibility passing on to Devon County Council.

Testing is still ongoing but while the date the person was buried is unknown for now, experts think there is a good chance the burial took place following a shipwreck.

Above: Police guard the scene after human bones were found at Saunton Sands last October. Credit: Bulletin Media

Stephen Reed, Principal Historic Environment Officer at Devon County Council, said: “The human remains found on Saunton Sands are historic and most likely represent the site of a shipwrecked sailor burial on the beach.

“The remains are currently being held by an archaeological contractor and over the next few months they will be assessed to determine the sex and age of the individual, as well as any evidence of identifiable disease.

“In addition, chemical analysis of the bones may reveal if the individual was local to North Devon or from further afield.”

The discovery was made just before 3pm on October 11, with police called and the top of the beach near the beach sauna wagon cordoned off with tape and cones, as beachgoers looked on.

Above: A section of the top of the beach was cordoned off while police investigated the discovery of human bones, which turned out to be quite old. Credit: Bulletin Media

Officers were seen digging in parts of the beach and the activity continued into the Sunday, with police placing a guard on the scene to ensure it was not disturbed.

A woman posted on social media at the time to say that her son had found ‘very old bones’ while digging in the sand.

The rugged coastline of North Devon has seen countless shipwrecks over the centuries, with local legend telling of the wreckers who would scavenge off ships driven ashore by storms and even lure them onto rocks with false lights.

It is unknown how widespread the practice really was and modern historians think decoy lanterns would be unlikely to fool many sailors, but during the 17th and 18th centuries and even later, the practice of plundering ships drive ashore before the authorities arrived was commonplace.

Devon County Council is hoping to be able to provide more information about the mystery Saunton Sands burial once analysis has been completed in a few months.