This Anglo Saxon stone coffin was found when St. Alkmund's Church was demolished in 1968 to make way for the ring road. Most of the lid was missing and only rubble was found inside.

It was almost certainly made as a shrine for the body of St. Alkmund soon after he was killed in AD 800. Pilgrims would have worshipped at it.

It is carved from a single block of sandstone and weighs almost one ton. Each side is decorated with a different interlace pattern.

It originally stood next to the altar iin the 9th century church. Then in the 12th century it was set into the floor, with only the lid showing. Later it was buried completely and forgotten about.