Bid to map out 7th-century abbey

Ancient ruins in Lincolnshire are to be uncovered as part of a plan to map out the history of a former abbey.

A team of archaeologists are currently at Bardney Abbey where they are carrying out trial excavations on the site, which dates back to 7th century.

Work on the Benedictine abbey, near the banks of the River Witham, is being carried out on behalf of The Jews' Court Trust. The aim is to find out if the ruins can be safely restored and displayed.

David Start from the Trust said they will apply for Lottery funding if the structure is able to be revived.

"The site is steeped in history and we would love to see it opened up, using folk from Lincolnshire to do the work, so that it is a community project," he said.

"We have a team of archaeologists digging four trenches to uncover the ruins, which will be assessed by an official conservationist before we fill them back in to keep the area protected."

For more on the excavation, see Tuesday's Echo.