ARCHAEOLOGISTS are investigating a series of mysterious timbers which have been spotted sticking out of the side of a beck in North Yorkshire.

The team made up of archaeologists from Tees Archaeology, the North Yorks Moors National Park and English Heritage, are working against time and tide to solve the mystery of the timbers at Cowbar near Staithes, which may be thousands of years old.

The timbers were spotted by a local man, Colin Mann, who immediately recognised their significance and reported them to the National Park Authority.

Peter Rowe of Tees Archaeology said: "The timbers appear to be an early structure perhaps for mooring fishing at Cowbar, We don't know how old they are, they could be Viking or earlier.

"We would be equally as pleased if they are later, as that could make them contemporary with Captain Cook's time spent at Staithes in the 1740s."

The team are to spend a day excavating and cleaning the remains before carefully recording their findings. The structure will then be accurately dated by English Heritage expert Kathy Groves by counting the tree rings in the timber.

Graham Lee, the archaeologist for the North Yorks Moors National Park, said: "By taking a sample of the timber and counting the growth rings we should be able to date them to the exact season and years the trees were felled. "Regardless of their age, these timbers are an important part of the heritage of this historic fishing community as they represent the earliest use of the beck for navigation."

The team spent today working on the timbers at Cowbar Lane, near the footbridge across the beck.

The timber is to be carefully preserved by Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council, which is carrying out sea defence improvements in the area.