Days after thousands lined the streets to catch a glimpse of Richard III’s coffin, the team behind the discovery of the monarch’s remains believes it could have found the final resting place of King Harold.

Oval Films and Stratascan tested a theory of author Peter Burke that the king was buried in Abbey Gardens, Waltham Abbey, by carrying out a scan of the area in October.

The historian proposed that Harold Godwinson did not die at the Battle of Hastings in 1066, as generally believed, but lived on for another 40 years as a hermit near the abbey which used to stand on the site.    

Now the team say they believe they have found an unmarked grave close to markings highlighted by Mr Burke on an ancient wall in the grounds of Waltham Abbey Church.

In 2012 the team discovered the remains of Richard III beneath a car park in Leicester.

Tomorrow (March 26) the late king will be reinterred in a specially constructed stone tomb at Leicester Cathedral.

An application has now been made to English Heritage for a licence to exhume the grave believed to be the final resting place of King Harold.

Mr Burke, who is sponsoring the search, said: “We have found something.

“It is in the exact location that all of my research has led to, which leads me to believe that we may have found the remains of King Harold.

“We are hoping that licence will be granted by next month so we can excavate the ground and know for sure.

“The nature of what we have found beneath the ground, the symbols on the wall above the unmarked grave and the time period it appears to be from are all exactly as I said.

“A number of things I predicted have been confirmed. Now it is all down to the dig.

“I am very hopeful and what we have found is very unusual.”

Producers will announce next week whether Channel 4, BBC or ITV has won the contract to air the first part of a documentary on the search at the end of May.

Epping Forest Guardian:

The teams scanned Waltham Abbey Gardens for remains in October last year.