TELEVISION archaeologists will be seen uncovering part of a lost medieval village on Sunday.

Channel 4's Time Team visited stately home Castle Howard, near Malton, North Yorkshire, last year, to carry out an excavation in search of the lost village of Henderskelfe.

The village, in the Howardian Hills, was razed to the ground towards the end of the 17th Century to help make way for Castle Howard and its grounds.

During their dig, the team uncovered a lettered plaque or plate described at the time as "astounding" and believed to date from the 14th Century.

The find is thought to be a testament to the importance of the village. Henderskelfe was almost certainly the source of a great deal of the high-quality pottery supplied to the rich merchants of York, and the great abbeys of Yorkshire and elsewhere.

Time Team spent only their usual three days at the site, but local archaeologists spent a further three months there - and now intend to carry on for at least four years. Their extended work found strong evidence for a 14th Century precinct wall of Henderskelfe Castle only yards from where Time Team were working.

Visitors to Castle Howard will soon be able to see the various finds on display and from mid-May will be able to watch live as Castle Howard's team of volunteers further extend their understanding of the site.

Anyone who would like to get involved in the digging, planning, surveying or pot-washing in the Time Team trenches at Castle Howard should write to Richard Kemp, at Castle Howard.

The programme will be broadcast on Channel 4, at 5.30pm.