THREE Anglo-Saxon bodies unearthed during building work at a North Yorkshire care home have been re-interred near where they were discovered.

In October 2014, workmen constructing the newly-opened Kirkwood Hall extra-care facility in Leyburn discovered two human skeletons.

The developers, Broadacres Housing Association, then organised a team from On-Site Archaeology to work alongside the builders, who made more surprising discoveries.

Subsequent work uncovered the outline of a building that pre-dates the Norman Conquest, which it is believed to be an early Christian church. A further discovery, the body of an infant aged six to nine months, was discovered inside the perimeter of the church.

It is believed the child may have been buried secretly by parents, as many medieval children were not baptised and so could not be buried in the church.

The archaeologists spent a number of weeks on the site and amassed a large haul of artefacts and then began carbon dating to determine the ages and sexes of the bodies.

The largest skeleton is thought to be a mature man, 46 years or over, who lived between 399AD and 544AD. The grave was slightly disturbed by ploughing and a sliver brooch was found nearby.

The second adult, although too young to determine its sex, was aged between 12 and 15 and lived slightly later from 640AD to 680AD.

An examination of the teeth showed the youngster suffered severe physical stress during his or her short life.

The church was fairly a small stone structure, constructed during the Anglo-Saxon period and may have received a later Norman addition. It was surrounded by a palisade ditch and is believed to have been abandoned in the 14th Century.

Other artefacts recovered from excavating the roundhouses, pits, pitches and post holes include pottery shards dating back to 900BC which are not Roman, and animal bones mostly pigs, sheep and goats suggesting some form of habitation nearby.

The three sets of human remains were re-interred in the grounds of Kirkwood Hall in a service conducted by the vicar of Leyburn, Rev Michael Hepper.

Civic dignitaries and representatives of Broadacres and On-Site Archaeology were also present. The three bodies were laid to rest together by Archaeologist Caroline Emry who had worked on the project.

Rev Hepper said: “This is the first time I have conducted a ceremony of this nature. It was a privilege to be asked. I feel it was a very dignified occasion.

“It is possible that the people we have buried today were actually Christian.”

A stone with vertical linear markings believed to be prehistoric now forms part of the entrance wall.

Care home manager Michelle Mottershead said: "We felt that it was important to remember our links to the site. Part of the original church wall is there for everyone to see.”