St Bees Man, St Bees Priory - Coast to Coast
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The Chancel Aisle of the West Wing at St Bees Priory, where St Bees Man was discovered.
St Bees Man and Priory, Coast to Coast History
St Bees Man is the name given to a remarkably well-preserved medieval corpse, discovered in 1981 by Leicester University during excavations at St Bees Priory in Cumbria. The remains were located in a walled vault near the west wing of the former chancel building, long disused and in poor condition. A commemorative plaque now marks the exact site within the priory grounds, which are easily visited from the Coast to Coast path.
The body was later identified as Anthony de Lucy, the 3rd Baron Lucy of Egremont, who died in 1368 while on crusade in Lithuania. He was born around 1332, the second son of Thomas de Lucy and grandson of the 1st Baron Lucy — all members of a prominent Anglo-Norman family with ancestral ties to Luce, a village near Domfront in Normandy.
At the time of discovery, the corpse’s identity was unknown and he was simply dubbed “St Bees Man.” He had been wrapped in a lead-lined shroud and interred in an air-tight coffin, conditions which contributed to the extraordinary preservation of his body — the best-preserved medieval corpse ever found in Britain.
Alongside him, archaeologists uncovered the skeleton of his sister, Maud de Lucy, who had the vault enlarged to accommodate her own interment some thirty years later. Maud was a noblewoman of powerful alliances, marrying both Henry Percy, 1st Earl of Northumberland, and later Gilbert de Umfreville, 10th Earl of Angus.
Visitors to St Bees Priory today can explore a detailed exhibition of the discovery, including artefacts and the remains of the burial shroud, offering a unique historical insight into 14th-century funerary practice on the St Bees Heritage Trail.
The Norman Doorway, St Bees Priory
The great Norman doorway of St Bees Priory draws the eye through four deeply recessed arches, their weathered sandstone carvings surviving from the earliest years of the building. Founded between 1120 and 1135 by William Meschin, the first Norman Lord of Egremont, the priory grew on a site with much older religious associations. Passing beneath this remarkable entrance, the walker crosses a threshold that has welcomed worshippers for almost nine centuries.
The Discovery of St Bees Man
Few visitors to the peaceful grounds of St Bees Priory would guess what lay beneath them. In 1981, archaeologists uncovered an extraordinarily well-preserved medieval body, soon known as St Bees Man. Evidence later pointed strongly towards Anthony de Lucy, Third Baron Lucy, who died on campaign in Lithuania in 1368. The remarkable preservation of his body transformed an archaeological excavation into one of Cumbria’s most fascinating medieval mysteries.
Anthony de Lucy
When the body was unearthed at St Bees Priory, its identity was a mystery and it became known simply as the “St Bees Man.” Wrapped in lead and waxed shrouds inside a wooden coffin, the corpse had survived for more than six centuries in an extraordinary state of preservation. Evidence would later point to Anthony de Lucy, 3rd Baron Lucy, who died on crusade in 1368.
🏛️ Insight - History
A Medieval Body Preserved
The preservation of the St Bees Man astonished archaeologists. Skin and fingernails survived, together with internal organs and traces of the contents of his digestive system — evidence rarely encountered in a medieval burial. Examination revealed far more than a skeleton could, offering an extraordinarily intimate glimpse of a man who had died more than six centuries earlier. His injuries and the circumstances of his burial, combined with documentary evidence, gradually pointed towards Anthony de Lucy, who died while campaigning in Prussia in 1368.
The skeleton beside him provided another important clue. Scientific investigation, supported by historical and heraldic evidence, identified the woman as Anthony’s sister, Maud de Lucy, who survived him by thirty years. Following the childhood death of Anthony’s daughter Joan, Maud became heiress to the Lucy estates, which through her marriage to Henry Percy became linked with the powerful Percy family. Identifying Maud further strengthened the evidence that the mysterious St Bees Man buried beside her was indeed her brother Anthony.
Maud de Lucy
The unwrapped skeleton found alongside Anthony de Lucy is believed to be that of his sister, Maud de Lucy, who died thirty years after him. Anthony’s vault was enlarged to receive her body, but without his protective lead and waxed wrappings, only her skeleton survived. Maud was the last of the Lucy line and, through her marriage to Henry Percy, the Lucy inheritance passed into one of northern England’s most powerful families. A stone in the Priory belfry still bears the quartered Lucy and Percy arms, recording that dynastic union.
Sleeping Child Garden
The Sleeping Child Garden lies within the grounds of St Bees Priory and was created at the bequest of sculptor Josefina de Vasconcellos during her hundredth year, shortly before her death. Conceived as a place of quiet reflection and remembrance, the garden contains three sculptures that she personally donated: Sleeping Babe, Adoration of the Holy Innocents and Heavenly Twins. Together, these tender figures create a poignant memorial to childhood and the innocence and fragility of life.
Hiking the Coast to Coast trail guide
Hiking the Coast to Coast is a digitally enhanced eBook designed to accompany you on your journey along the Coast to Coast path. Available on Apple Books for iPhone, iPad and Mac, the guide includes:
• Mapping with interactive features
• Step-by-step route directions
• Hundreds of colour photographs
• Route conditions in different weather
• Historical and cultural points of interest
Whether you’re planning your trip or already on the trail, it’s a practical and beautifully illustrated resource to carry with you.
