St Patrick

I love “Time Team” and their television series is presented by Tony Robinson. In each episode there is a team of specialists carrying out an archaeological dig over a period of three days. So, I hope you all enjoy this.







“Time Team travel to Downpatrick, one of Ireland's most sacred sites where St Patrick, patron saint of All Ireland, set up his first church. On Cathedral Hill sits a magnificent church renovated from its medieval origins in the 18th century. In just three days, Time Team are trying to find evidence of the early Christian monastery and the later Benedictine buildings (St Patrick's 5th century buildings of wood would have left no trace).

Their main aims are to try and find the foundations of the 70 foot tall bell tower, dating from around the 10th century and known from paintings to have been standing in the late 18th century and establish the boundaries of the monastery. It being Time Team, one search proves fruitless but the weekend ends with evidence of an extensive bank and ditch boundary, the foundations of a high status medieval guesthouse, with pottery and window glass finds and a food preparation building with unique rubbish chutes into a charnel pit for the bones of a huge variety of animals, indicating that the monastery and their guests enjoyed an incredibly rich diet!”