This rare find was uncovered during the 2024 dig. Coincidently, one of the volunteers digging that day was Lucy-Anne Taylor, an expert in Early Medieval wind instruments. Lucy-Anne has written about the flute for the website:
“This is one of only about forty bone pipes found dated to between the 5th-11th century in England. While broken at the top and the bottom, the evidence of a window and slight ramp at the top distinguishes it as a bone flute, more specifically a duct flute. This type of instrument is made to sound similar to the recorder. The finger holes on this example are neatly made and evenly spaced.
Found in the midden, this is the first bone pipe to be found in a community connected to a monastery. The music from the instrument may have been used for entertainment or even signalling and communicating. Whether it had a role to play in Christian worship at the Monastery is unclear but the sound of it when played may well have been heard within the Monastery if it was being played outside the actual Monastery building!”
Lucy-Anne has written a book about early medieval wind instruments which includes the Cookham flute. Details can be found at: https://www.barpublishing.com/book/early-medieval-wind-instruments-in-england-c-5th-11th-century/