Hidden Stairwell Used by Bonnie Prince Charlie

The recently discovered stairwell is located at Bannockburn House, a mansion that served as a headquarters for Charles Edward Stuart, popularly known as Bonnie Prince Charlie, in January 1746. It was during his stay here that a suspected assassination attempt occurred, evidenced by a musket ball hole found in the plasterwork of the bedroom he used. The prince was in the region to rally his Jacobite forces before the pivotal Battle of Culloden. A key supporter of the Jacobite cause was Simon Fraser, the 11th Lord Lovat, often called "The Old Fox." Known for his shifting allegiances, Lovat had previously supported the government during the 1715 Jacobite rising but secretly plotted with the exiled Stuarts for years. For his role in the 1745 uprising, he was convicted of treason and became the last man in Britain to be executed by beheading. The Jacobite army, after initial successes like the victory at Prestonpans, was ultimately defeated at the Battle of Culloden in April 1746. The government forces were led by Prince William, Duke of Cumberland, the son of King George II. His brutal suppression of the remaining Jacobite sympathizers in the aftermath of the battle earned him the nickname "Butcher" Cumberland. Following the defeat at Culloden, a systematic effort was made to dismantle the Highland clan system. Laws were passed to disarm the clans and prohibit the wearing of tartan and other traditional Highland dress. Many Jacobite leaders were executed or forced into exile, and numerous estates were forfeited to the crown. In Canterbury, recent construction work has also unearthed a piece of the city's medieval past with the discovery of a hidden vault beneath St. Mary Bredman Square. Archaeologists are investigating the stone-lined chamber, which may be connected to the medieval church of St. Mary Bredman that was demolished centuries ago. This find is part of a larger pattern of significant archaeological discoveries in the Canterbury area. Previous excavations have revealed a Roman bastion wall, Anglo-Saxon cobbled roads, and a major medieval Austin friary. These finds contribute to a deeper understanding of the city's development from the Roman period through the Middle Ages. Other remarkable finds near Canterbury include a rare Roman soldier's helmet from the era of Julius Caesar, which was uniquely used as a burial urn in the Iron Age. More recently, a stunningly preserved 6th-century sword with a gold and silver hilt was unearthed in an early medieval cemetery, highlighting the area's importance during the Anglo-Saxon period.