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SKIPP (Saxon King In Priory Park) was set up in November 2008 by concerned residents of Southend-on-Sea. SKIPP's mission is to facilitate the return of the artefacts discovered within the burial chamber of the Prittlewell Saxon King plus the other previous and future finds to a site in close proximity to the discovery site so as not to break the 'connection between grave goods and burial chamber'. In order to achieve this SKIPP, proposes the construction of a 'Saxon Hall Style' Museum on the Priory Park 'Brownfield' site currently occupied by the Council Works Depot. We believe this will be, cost effective, achievable in a relatively short time scale and create an iconic internationally significant museum for Southend to be proud of.

 

Since its founding SKIPP have found it necessary to become involved in many local political issues which effect Southend and its people. Such as our involvement at Cuckoo Corner trying to prevent the slaughter of mature trees and the widening of Priory Crescent, to please the owners of Southend Airport, which lean to the setting up of the Camp Cuckoo protest site, which had a direct bearing upon the Saxon museum project. However, SKIPP, where possible, continues to tackle the Council on matters which do not necessarily have a direct impact on the Museum proposal. We have addressed issues such as the slaughter of trees at Victoria Circus, (where SKIPP halted the tree felling at 22 trees, saving a further 38 from the chainsaws), the barbaric destruction of Warrior Square, the march of Tesco's, the Pier and the shameful deliberate neglect of York Road Market, leading to its sudden closure... For more information on SKIPP´s activities beyond our core aim of creating a Saxon Great Hall Museum project and village in Priory Park, please visit our Facebook page.

The Untouched King.... In 2003 a discovery was made in Southend-on-Sea which would shock the archaeological world: the undisturbed and completely intact burial chamber of a Saxon King. The team of archaeologists employed by Southend Council to excavate the site, had no idea when they begun that they were about to make a discovery of even greater significance than that of the Sutton Hoo Ship Burial in 1939. What they found was quite remarkable and certainly unique. A royal burial chamber so intact the grave goods were still hanging from iron pegs hammered into the chamber walls. Over the next few months of excavation, over 100 grave items would be uncovered and removed, items of extraordinary quality originating from across Europe and as far away as Byzantium. One thing was obvious to the team, this was no ordinary burial, this was no ordinary man, it was indeed the burial of no less than a King. Getting to know our King..... There has been much debate in academic circles as to the identity of the King since his discovery back in 2003, however, the consensus of opinion now points firmly towards his identity being that of King Seabert or Seaberht (C. 597 -616) of the East Saxon's (Essex). At this period of history the East Saxon Kingdom was a powerful realm, encompassing Essex, North Kent, much of Middlesex and with the control of the Thames the City of London itself. We can't be sure when Seabert was born however, we do know he ruled the East Saxon's from 597 till his death in 616. He was the nephew of England's first Christian King, Ethelbert of Kent and converted (publicly at least) to Christianity himself at the behest of his Uncle. It should be mentioned that Seabert's sons never converted and after his death in 616 the Kingdom subsequently reverted back to pagan ways. Seabert is credited with the building of the first church of St. Pauls in London and laid the foundation for what was to become Westminster Abbey, with the conversion of an old Roman Temple to Apollo, into a Christian Church. Indeed such is Seabert's importance to the Abbey's history, a statue of the King stands in the Abbey and his coat of arms adorn the famous West Window. You may not have heard of Seabert before (we certainly hadn't until we started SKIPP), however, he is a very significant figure in the history of England. The SKIPP Committee
Patsy Link
Sheena Walker
Mark Raymond Sharp

Why does SKIPP believe that the Treasures of the Prittlewell
Saxon king should return to Prittlewell
and not to a sea front museum?

We have to maintain the connection between the exhibited treasures and the site in which they were laid to rest for over 1300 years. This connection between site and treasures is not only a matter cultural ambience, which in itself is very important, but is also a matter of business imperative. During a recent fact finding trip to Sutton Hoo in Suffolk it was made abundantly clear to SKIPP by the management of the site that the success of Sutton Hoo as a world class tourist attraction is interwoven with the close geographic connection between the burial site and the exhibition of the discovered artefacts. Why does SKIPP believe that Southend Borough Council's plans for a sea front museum are seriously flawed?The economic success of the Saxon king project would, in the opinion of experts, be seriously damaged by breaking the intimate connection between the burial site and the treasures. Furthermore, the proposed site on the 'cliff slippage' is, according to the study commissioned by the council, the least technically viable site for construction, and would as a result be extremely expensive, not to mention complex and 'technically risky'. In addition and despite  fool hardy attempts to gloss over the flood risks associated with the site, upon reading the study it is abundantly clear that the 'cliff slippage' site would be at high risk of both tidal flooding, and in the future also flooding due to sea level rise.