Video: The dig got underway on Monday.
Archaeologists digging up part of the Nottingham Castle grounds say they want to uncover evidence of guns fired at the castle during the English Civil War in the 17th Century.
An excavation got underway on Monday (July 17) for the third successive year to discover more information about the castle’s Medieval history.
Archaeologists are working on the edge of the grounds overlooking Castle Road.
They have already made their way through two metres of ground and dug up animal bones, brick work and drain pipes in 24 hours.
Project manager Matt Hurford, of Trent and Peak Archaeology, says he wants to find artefacts which made up the “gunning placement” set up by the Royalists during the Civil War.
The Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political plots between Parliamentarians and Royalists over how England’s Government was run.
During the war, it is thought guns were situated on top of St Nicholas’ Church, on Maid Marian Way, to provide a vantage point from where shots were fired at the castle by Royalists.
Mr Hurford said: “What I’d really like to find is the formal gunning placement from the Civil War where the Royalists set up a gunning placement on top of St Nicholas’ Church which is just behind us and shelled the castle.”
St Nicholas’ Church was built in 1642 but was destroyed in 1644 by Parliamentarians during the war, before the current church was rebuilt.
Mr Hurford added: “Unfortunately the Parliamentarians set up a gunning placement pretty much where we’re stood and shelled the church which resulted in its demolition, which is why we’ve got a later 18th Century church on site.”
He says a brick floor and walling have been found so far which could have been part of a greenhouse during the Victorian period.
Mr Hurford added: “The greenhouse has been built over early allotment layers beneath which we think we’ve got formal ducal palace gardens which were laid out in the 17th Century.”
Paul Knighton, a trainee archaeologist, said: “So far I’ve done a bit of sieving, going through the waste to find some stuff.
“I’ve found a few bones so far, animal bones. It’s something I’ve always had an interest in.
“Right now we’re cleaning where some sort of brick structure used to be. We’re going to remove all the dirt and bits of debris to get a clear pictures as to what’s on the ground.
“I’m hoping to find something out of the ordinary – something like a musket ball maybe; something other than bricks and pots.”
