Country diary: A fine coastline with secrets in the soil | Alex Pearce-Broomhead

Trevone, Cornwall: As our cliff edges erode, long-buried skeletons are being unearthed. How many more sailors might be there beneath the scurvy grass and thrift?The remains of last year's thrift seem to rattle as an offshore wind pushes over the headland. It won't be long before they're superseded by the new flowers, and already, buds of tightly curled pink are beginning to unfurl to greet the spring sunshine. A local folktale says that every thrift flower represents the soul of someone lost at sea, resettled on the coast to remind all seafarers of the perilous ocean they sail. They will be in good company on Trevone's coast, mingling with clusters of scurvy grass, kidney vetch, and bursts of lesser celandine.But the wildflowers belie a darker secret. In 2022, a human skeleton was discovered on this coast path, hidden beneath the earth for centuries until the soil covering it wore away, revealing a snapshot of our past. Archaeological evidence tells us that it probably belonged to an 18th-century sailor - the upper body showing signs of heavy manual labour and wear to the teeth consistent with regularly holding rope in the mouth. Continue reading...