HISTORY enthusiasts are being encouraged to take up the last chance to get a glimpse of Radcliffe’s medieval history this weekend.

The final archaeological dig of the Radcliffe Hall and Tower project concludes on Saturday with a public open day, where visitors can view the team’s discoveries.

The event will run from 10am to 4pm and there will be guides on hand from Salford University’s Centre for Applied Archaeology to give tours of the site and help interpret the findings, which include rare items of pottery and glass.

Archaeologists from the university and local volunteers have been on site in Close Park since April 13 and have made several fascinating discoveries.

Vicky Nash, who has led the dig, said: “The dig has gone really well. There has been a lot of enthusiasm from everyone involved and we have definitely found plenty of medieval remains.

“We have come across a lot of pottery and glass, and it’s obvious that this was a very high status building because the items we’re finding would have been very expensive.

“I would really urge people to come down on Saturday because this is the last chance they will get to visit the site before it gets landscaped.”

After the dig, the excavations will be filled in and work will continue on repairing the Tower until the end of June.

In the summer, it is intended to landscape the site, erect information panels and depict the outlines of historic buildings in the ground, with the project due to be completed in September.

Between 20 and 25 volunteers have been excavating the site every day during the dig, with 10 local schools also getting involved in the project.

The current dig has been funded by Dig Greater Manchester, with repair work to the tower financed by WREN (Waste Recycling Environmental Ltd), and the overall project by a grant of £266,900 from the Heritage Lottery Fund.

Entry to the open day is free, and the adjacent St Mary’s Church will host displays from local archaeological groups and offer teas and cakes.