A Leominster car park is giving up the secrets of more than a thousand years of history.

The council car park has been dug over by a team of archaeologists led by English Heritage and has revealed its past dating back to the 10th century.

Dedicated volunteers, including school pupils and students on holiday from university, have unearthed more than 100 glazed tiles from the time when the site contained the cloisters of Leominster's medieval priory.

Most of the good stonework and tiles were taken after the priory was demolished but the archaeologists were able to find one glazed tile in its original condition.

The priory cloisters were built on top of the Saxon church or monastery, giving the team an ideal opportunity to work on two monuments at the same time.

"It has been very exciting and rewarding that we have been able to find so much in such a short space of time.

"We have uncovered important information about the history of the town," said archaeologist Bruce Watson, who has led the dig with colleague Peter Busby.

There are hopes the finds made during the dig can be put on display at some stage in the future at an exhibition either in Leominster Museum or the Priory Church.

After the completion of the work, the site will return to its 21st century incarnation - as a council car park.