A CONSERVATOR from Leigh said getting to work on the Prittlewell Princey Burial was “a once in a lifetime opportunity”.

Liz Barham, senior Conservator at the Museum of London Archaeology, originally began her work at Southend Central Museum before working on other projects.

Now, after years of painstaking restoration and studies, she said it is “wonderful” to share it with the public.

She said: “What we found here demonstrated how much power this King had. The items in the chamber, they’re showing off the influence he had.

“The chamber itself will have taken ten to 14 oak trees, around 20 to 25 people and five days of labour to build.

“It’s the biggest burial chamber that has ever been discovered in the country.

“How we found it, the artefacts were still standing in the exact same place as they were left, where they have always been, lots of it was incredibly well preserved.

“It’s truly a wonderful find, and such an honour to be a part of, there are many interesting things that show windows in Anglo-Saxon life and death.

“The exhibit is a continuity of humanity, and it’s been a complete thrill.”