<div class="fr-view"><p>Back in 2022, we shared the story of the <a href="https://thehootstudents.com/the-discovery-of-an-18th-century-tomb-at-the-walton-hall-campus/">discovery of an 18th century tomb at our Walton Hall</a> campus in Milton Keynes.</p>
<p>Senior Archive Assistant, Amanda Saladine, had been researching the history of the Walton Hall Estate for an <a href="https://www.open.ac.uk/library/digital-archive/exhibition/360" title="https://www.open.ac.uk/library/digital-archive/exhibition/360">OU Digital Archive exhibition</a>. Amanda discovered that former estate owners Charles Pinfold and his wife Renea were buried beneath a large mid-18th century monument in St Michael&rsquo;s churchyard. This was puzzling as all the gravestones in the churchyard had been photographed and recorded, and there was no sign of a large tomb for Charles and Renea. Perhaps it had crumbled away?</p>
<p>Then, while searching for further information online, Amanda discovered a photograph of the church taken in the 1990s, and amazingly there, on the east side of the building, was a large white monument which could only have been the Pinfolds&rsquo; tomb.</p>
<p>She immediately realised that the tomb did still exist, but it was so encased in ivy that it looked like a tree!</p>
<p><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib fr-draggable wp-image-37312"><span class="fr-img-wrap" style="width: 657.281px"><img class="fr-fil fr-dib" src="https://thehootstudents.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Hidden-2022.jpg" alt="A side-view of a church building, with a red circle drawn round a large mound of ivy" data-id="37312"><span class="fr-inner"><span data-ccp-props="{">The tomb had been swallowed by an entanglement of ivy</span></span></span></span></p>
<p>After sharing her findings with the rest of the Archive team, they got in touch with the University Grounds Team who started to remove the ivy &ndash; revealing the impressive tomb beneath. Unfortunately, it was soon discovered that the monument was very unstable, and the area had to be cordoned off for safety.</p>
<p><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib fr-draggable wp-image-37314"><span class="fr-img-wrap" style="width: 657.297px"><img class="fr-fil fr-dib" src="https://thehootstudents.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Uncovered-2022.jpg" alt="Red and white tape surround an uncovered stone tomb, with a small mound of ivy featured on top of it" data-id="37314"><span class="fr-inner"><span data-ccp-props="{">The tomb once the Ivy had been cleared</span></span></span></span></p>
<p>In the last few months, with funding from the <a href="https://www.wcpmk.co.uk/">Walton Churches Partnership</a>, St Mary&rsquo;s Church Wavendon and The Broughton Trust, the tomb has been beautifully restored.</p>
<p><img class="fr-fic fr-dib wp-image-37321" style="width: 476px" src="https://thehootstudents.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Refurb-square.jpg" alt="A restored stone tomb in front of a church building" data-id="37321"></p>
<p><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib fr-draggable wp-image-37322"><span class="fr-img-wrap" style="width: 476px"><img class="fr-fil fr-dib" style="width: 476px" src="https://thehootstudents.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/restored-2025-square.jpg" alt="A restored stone tomb in front of green trees" data-id="37322"><span class="fr-inner">The beautifully restored tomb in all its glory</span></span></span></p>
<p>Find out about the Pinfolds and their role in the history of the Walton Hall Estate on the <a href="https://www.open.ac.uk/library/digital-archive/exhibition/360" title="https://www.open.ac.uk/library/digital-archive/exhibition/360">OU Digital Archive</a>.</p>
<hr>
<p><em>T</em><em>he <a href="https://www.open.ac.uk/library/">Library Services website</a> is your gateway to a wide range of online information resources. You can use it to find out more <a href="https://www.open.ac.uk/library/about">about the Library</a>, search our extensive <a href="https://www.open.ac.uk/library/library-resources">online collection of Library resources</a> (including eBooks, journals, databases and more), and explore our <a href="https://www.open.ac.uk/library/training-and-events">programme of live online training sessions</a> that are available to all OU students and staff. <em>Or indeed, come and speak with us at the ;</em><a href="https://www.open.ac.uk/library/help-and-support/contacting-the-helpdesk"><em>Library Helpdesk</em></a><em>: we look forward to it. And keep up to date with us by liking us on ;</em><a href="https://www.facebook.com/OULibrary">Facebook</a><em>, following us on ;</em><a href="https://bsky.app/profile/oulibrary.bsky.social">Bluesky</a><em>, and subscribing to our <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@TheOpenUniversityLibrary"><em>YouTube channel</em></a><em>.</em></em></em></p>
<div id="zfWrap">
		
 </div>



</div>
Share
Read more