Keesbury Manor is believed to be the site of a medieval house owned by the de Cawood family. The project is investigating the history and archaeology of the site including researching Gooseberry growing in Cawood. In more recent times, Keesbury was known as 'The Gooseberries' due to the large number of bushes cultivated on the site.

The project has involved lots of volunteers and children from the village school. The children have researched gooseberry growing and the role of Victorian children in harvesting produce. A leaflet will be available soon about the heritage of gooseberry growing in the village, illustrated by classes 4 and 5 from Cawood School.

Mr Adams MP was shown round the site by Margaret Brearley of the Cawood Castle Garth Group and archaeologist Dr John Kenny. He showed great interest in the excavations and chatted later to the volunteers over afternoon tea. The group are very grateful to Mr Adams for taking the time to visit the site.

In one of the five trenches opened so far, Mr Adams met the volunteers and commented: "It was fantastic to see so many volunteers involved in unearthing Cawood's history. The team has done a great job in securing National Lottery funding for the project and I am confident we will all learn far more about Cawood and its past as a result."

So far, medieval pottery, quantities of wood, possibly a wicker fence in the moat, the remains of a post hole and mountains of brick and tile have been found. The dig will continue until the end of September and if anyone is interested in joining in please make contact through the Cawood Castle Garth Group website.

Notes to editors

Cawood Castle Garth Group are a group of 10 volunteers who live in the village of Cawood. Our group was set up over 13 years ago by the local community to investigate the scheduled ancient monument known as Castle Garth Cawood, an area of untouched medieval grassland behind Cawood Castle.

They researched, recorded and held archaeological digs on the Garth involving the community and local school. Access for the disabled was constructed across the site including the building of a bridge over the moat and providing seating. They provided opportunities for training to the local community and other groups in the district on such topics as landscape surveying, geophysical surveying, mole hill sifting and discovering the wildlife on the Garth. The history days the group hold are popular locally and on one occasion had a visit from the Cawood sword which is in the Yorkshire Museum, a very rare Viking artefact. They continue to manage the Garth site and research the history of the village.