Surprise wall find as years of excavations end

Seven years of excavations involving more than 1,000 people have come to an end with the surprise discovery of huge medieval walls.

Archaeologists returned to Auckland Castle, in Bishop Auckland, County Durham, for a final season of digging earlier in June.

The project's academic lead Prof Chris Gerrard said the walls, which are at least 8ft (2.5m) wide and "double the height of a person", showed "a lot about power in the North".

Digging ends on Friday and findings will be analysed, with hopes more objects will go on display at the Faith Museum at Auckland Palace.

Archaeologists from Durham University and experts from The Auckland Project have been working on the site since 2018.

After uncovering a mansion which had lain buried for almost 400 years last summer, they turned to the north side of the palace where they found the walls.

The structure was buried under a slope, with the remains of a banqueting hall on the top.

Prof Gerrard said the walls were believed to have been built around 1200 and must have been part of a medieval curtain wall running around the palace or garden.

He said the "truly impressive" finding helped his team better understand the shape and layout of the medieval bishop's palace.

"It's completely hidden under the grass," Prof Gerrard said, adding: "We had no idea it was here.

"It's quite a surprise to find something as enormous as this without any prior knowledge of it.

"I don't think I've ever found anything so huge under the soil as this. It's much bigger than anything that's still standing here."

Prof Gerrard said the structure felt "like a big statement of wealth and power".

"It says a lot about power in the North and about the resources that somebody could bring together to be able to construct something on this scale," he added.

A piece of folded lead with a cross faintly scratched into it was also among the objects unearthed this year.

Archaeology Curator John Castling, from the Auckland Project, said exploring the findings would help build a more detailed picture of life on the palace grounds.

"We'll also be working on interpreting the archaeology to visitors to the palace, including installing a replica of a pillar base from the medieval chapel in the garden over where the original is still buried," Mr Castling added.

Frankie Rickett, a first year archaeology student at Durham University, was the 1,000th person to take part in the excavation.

She said one of the most exciting moments was on her second day when they found part of the wall in her trench.

"It's been quite intense work," she said, adding: "We think we're near the bottom of the section of the wall in the trench that I'm digging in."

Prof Gerrard said the excavation had been a great experience and he had been looking forward to it over the year.

"I shall miss it next year," he added.

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