Archaeologists and volunteers made a ‘fascinating’ discovery when they excavated the site of what used to be a manor house in Oxfordshire.

Dr Jane Harrison and a team of experts, students, and volunteers have been uncovering the lost history of the former home - which lies to the south of Besselsleigh village - over the last few seasons.

But is has never been as thorough on this year’s scale due to the Covid pandemic.

What the group found revealed a new aspect about the history of the manor house.

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“One of the most fascinating finds was that they actually piped fresh water from a well through the pipes into this manor house, and that is really rare in an ordinary manor,” said Dr Harrison.

“You often find it more in abbeys and Oxbridge colleges but someone in the family has seen a freshwater system and thought I want one of those.”

This year’s season was specifically looking to uncover more about the Anglo-Saxon origins of the manor, which has seen changes across three historical periods - the Roman, the Anglo-Saxon, and the English Civil War.

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The team discovered more about the layout of the central manor buildings.

Dr Harrison said: “We found metre wide walls, large rooms and big spaces, and the sort of pottery and objects that go with the time.”

Other finds included bones, buttons, oyster shells, as well as 19th century children's lead toys including two soldiers and a little cannon.

Dr Harrison said: “I have the most fantastic team and we work with lots of local people and the local history society so it was a very fun collaborative effort.”