ARCHAEOLOGISTS will comb through rubbish pits, the old town rampart and more when they return to Wallingford on Saturday — but only on condition they don’t leave a mess.

The Burgh to Borough project, organised by experts and students from Oxford, Leicester and Exeter universities, aims to unlock the secrets of medieval Wallingford.

But they caused a stink after their last visit because they made such a mess.

Last month, Wallingford Town Council agreed to let the experts return, but only if they promised to restore the site properly afterwards.

The first excavation last summer saw teams of archaeologists dig deep beneath the earth at several sites across the town to attempt to map its development from Norman through Saxon and medieval times.

Now they are returning for a second dig which will continue until July 25 at sites including Kinecroft and Castle Meadows.

Judy Dewey, curator at Wallingford Museum – which is helping with the dig, along with members of Wallingford Historical and Archaeological Society – said: “Geophysical surveys have taken place during the spring, which produced spectacular results. These have determined the exact location of the trenches to be excavated.

“There will be at least three trenches throughout the town, but with some special emphasis on the Wallingford Castle Meadows to reveal further features of this important site.”

At Kinecroft, a trench will be located adjacent to the one from last year, where 12th century buildings and a road were found.

The dig will attempt to discover more about life of the people who lived there by examining rubbish pits at the rear of the houses.

At Castle Meadows, a trench will be dug next to the excavation undertaken in the 1960s and will focus on the town rampart.

And, for the first time, an archaeological excavation will take place inside the castle bailey.

Results of the excavations and artefacts unearthed will be displayed in Wallingford Museum in Flint House, High Street.

wallingford@oxfordmail.co.uk