The radar probe at Reading Abbey in the search for the high altar where Henry I of England and possibly other royals are buried, has officially begun. The ground-penetrating radar equipment is currently being used on land around St James church, which lies next to the ruins of Reading Abbey. Further investigations are due to be carried out on the abbey church, Forbury Gardens and Reading Gaol car park.
The Reading Abbey ruins are set to reopen to the public in 2018, after winning lottery funding. The Abbey was dissolved during the dissolution of the monasteries by Henry VIII, but no record survives of what happened to Henry I’s body. It is possible that Adeliza of Louvain, Henry’s second wife, is buried there, though there is also a possibility that she is buried in Belgium. Another possible burial there is Constance of York, a granddaughter of Edward III.
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