FOR centuries the mortal remains of three monks lay buried and forgotten — until excavations uncovered human bones in Tavistock's Bedford Square.

Now, three years on, they have been laid to rest again following a moving re-interment service in Tavistock Parish Church.

More than 100 people — including town mayor Judith Williams — attended the St Rumon's Day evensong and re-interment last week, officiated by the Rev John Rawlings.

'We chose August 30 — St Rumon's feast day. We thought it would be a good day to hold the service as St Rumon was a Celtic bishop much revered and brought to Tavistock Abbey to be buried,' he said.

A wooden casket with crucifix on top rested in a specially prepared vault at the west end of the nave. It was placed beside the vault of Ordulph who founded Tavistock Abbey in 981.

On either side, two brass candlesticks burned like silent sentinels throughout the service as the choir and soloist, Anna Reynolds, sang and prayers were said.

The bones had been excavated during a South West Water pipe-laying scheme in Bedford Square.

The bodies were contained in three stone-lined graves and buried with clothing, a chalice and communion plate. The bones were photographed before being removed and have spent the last three years being examined by experts.

Mr Rawlings told the congregation the mortal remains had first been buried by their brothers at the monastery within the abbey.

'Part of the life of the monks in days gone by was to educate the young and we pray for all those who continue the work of education. The monks also tended the sick, not only in the community, but in the surrounding areas,' he said.

In using the Latin Mass for the prayers of committal, Mr Rawlings said this would have been familiar to the monks as it would have been used at their original funeral 700 years ago.

He felt it was appropriate that the monks should be buried in the parish church. 'It was the right place for them to be.'

He said, although contemporary worship was different to what the monks would have known, it was, nevertheless, a continuous thing.

'Their way of life was totally different to ours but they were still people who had all the usual emotions that people have today. They lived their lives and that is why it was important to me that they should be put back in a place that is used all the time and, in a sense, be at home.

'I know it is only bones but they still matter and we wanted to treat them with as much dignity and respect as possible.'

While his service successfully wove the two worlds into one he recognised just how unimaginable the new millennium would have been to the monks.

'Cars, lorries and buses were going over the top of them where their remains were in Bedford Square. They would have no conception of how life is today.'