Dr Gabor Thomas: Saxon Queen Cynethryth‘s lost abbey discovered

Time Team: Unearthing the Past

In Summer 2021, archaeologists from the University of Reading made a major discovery: the long lost monastery ruled by a prominent and hugely influential Anglo-Saxon queen.

Cynethryth was the wife of Offa of Mercia, and a powerful queen in her own right – the only female ruler depicted on coinage at this time in all of Western Europe.

The Reading team, led by Dr Gabor Thomas, made some amazing discoveries at Cookham village on the banks of the River Thames. Time Team's Dani Wootton catches up with Dr Thomas to find out more.

The original video is available to watch here.