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Salisbury Cathedral has been standing proud in Wiltshire for over 750 years. With all that history, it was a natural location for the Channel 4’s Time Team. The programme now in its 11th year travels around the world uncovering sites of archaeology interest. And that's exactly what the team did at Wiltshire's Cathedral last year.

A tray of artefacts found at the dig

In October 2008 Tony Robinson and local Salisbury resident and archaeologist Phil Harding, began a historical dig within an area adjacent to the cathedral walls and the site of its original bell tower. Historical, because an archaeological dig has never been carried out on the site before.ÌýPhil Harding said: "To do a dig here is a once in a lifetime experience."

The dig was a huge success and now the artefacts discovered at the Catherdral site are to go on display at Salisbury Cathedral Cloisters. Phil said: "What we found underlines what incredible engineers and geologists those original builders were."

The exhibition features a wealth of artefacts, photographs, masonry from the long demolished Beauchamp Chapel, as well audio visual material. The exhibition also revisits the story of the dig with the benefit of the full archaeological report, including some un-broadcast insights.Ìý

Sifting through the finds

Hosting the Time Team was an exciting time for staff at the Catherdral and it created a real buzz around the City, David Coulthard, Marketing Director for the Cathedral, said: "It was wonderful for us to host the Time Team and a real bonus that we are able to continue to work with them, and with Wessex Archaeology who provide the behind-the-scenes archaeology team, to stage this exhibition.Ìý

"Time Team is a hugely popular programme with a great following and the dig really caused a stir with hundreds of people coming alongÌý to the cathedral as word got out that the ‘team’ were busy at work here.ÌýÌý

"And when the programme was broadcast recently it showed how much they managedÌý to uncover about a fascinating period of the Cathedral’s history."

A major focus is Bishop Beauchamp, one of Salisbury’s most colourful Bishops, but the exhibition also explores the social history of his time as well as the archaeological and architectural story of the bell tower dig.

Uncovering a skeleton

And if you've not had much archaeological experience don't worry, there's even an archaeology for beginners section, which gives an insight into the working methods and
tools used be modern archaeologists.

The exhibition runs from 1st May to 31st October, during normal opening hours. Admission is free.