A WOODLAND churchyard previously known to have been a 6th century pilgrimage site has been re-dated by nearly 6,000 years.

An excavation has been carried out as part of the Llanrhaeadr YC Preservation Society (LPS) project to restore the historic grounds of St Dyfnog’s Church, where a clear water well dated to 500 AD was once believed to have healing powers.

A group of 35 LPS volunteers led by archaeology contractor Dr Ian Brookes worked for two weeks to uncover the site and found it may have been a rare quarry for early farmers in the Late Neolithic period, who wanted to retrieve chert from limestone to make tools.

The diggers found evidence fires had been created to heat the rock before dousing it with water to splinter the material and chip it with antler picks.

The church had also been the site of Victorian revelry as a 19th century gin bottle was found.

Ian Brooks, involved in projects on the Isle of Wight and Hadrian’s Wall, said the discovery “is an exciting one”.

“We know a lot about the larger stone quarries but very little about the smaller quarries for local groups,” he said.

“This makes it nationally important as well as a career highlight.”

St Dyfnog’s Church dates back to the 14th century and has a rare Jesse window rumoured to have been buried during the English Civil War.

The three-year LPS project to restore its grounds has £300,000 funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, which will enable volunteers to explore a second well, St Mary’s Well, and reinstate two small water bridges from the 16th century.

Llanrhaeadr YC Preservation Society chair Elfed Williams said the group “never expected” to make the fresh discoveries.: “We knew the site was special but this excavation has shown that it is even more so.

“As part of the project we will be interpreting the site for the first time and we can’t wait to share this story with visitors.”

The project offers unique opportunities for volunteers. Samantha Jones, LPS project manager, said: “It is wonderful that it was volunteers that found this site. It is an incredibly special experience to be the first person to hold an object that was last touched by a human 6,000 years ago.”

For more information or to get involved in the LPS project, email Mrs Jones at samantha.jones.dyfnog2018@gmail.com