Archaeological dig on a mission to uncover medieval remains

An archaeological dig is taking place at an ancient monument in Leicester which is believed to contain remains of a site linked with military knights.

University of Leicester archaeologists, along with volunteers, will return to Castle Hill Country Park at Beaumont Leys this weekend.

They will continue to explore a large ancient monument, Castle Hill. It is believed to hold the remains of a medieval manorial site linked with the Knights Hospitallers.

The Knights Hospitallers was a medieval Catholic military order founded in the late 11th or early 12th century.

They protected the Holy Land and provide care for sick, poor and injured pilgrims travelling there.

Volunteers and University of Leicester archaeologists excavate a medieval manor site at Castle Hill Country Park, Beaumont Leys, in 2016 Credit: ULAS/Mathew Morris

Last year, a two-week community dig on the site uncovered well-preserved medieval archaeology dating from the mid-13th century through to the late 15th century.

This year, volunteers under the guidance of a team of archaeologists from University of Leicester Archaeological Services (ULAS) will be on site for four weeks to investigate new areas of the monument.

Volunteers and University of Leicester archaeologists excavate a medieval manor site at Castle Hill Country Park, Beaumont Leys, in 2016 Credit: ULAS/Mathew Morris

Mathew Morris, Project Officer for ULAS said:

The dig runs from Saturday 2nd September to Wednesday 27 September.

The dig is part of Leicester City Council's Story of Parks project, a two-year Heritage Lottery-funded scheme helping to collect and celebrate the history of Leicester's parks through the stories and memories of local people that use them.