Volunteers are being given a hands-on opportunity to unearth Pembrokeshire’s history at an archaeological dig near Llangwm next month.

As part of the lottery-funded Heritage Llangwm project, archaeologists from Dyfed Archaeological Trust have been using ground penetrating radar to survey St. Jerome’s Church, Llangwm, which is being renovated as part of plans which include researching the village’s Flemish founders.

Next month, they’ll be transferring their attention to Great Nash Farm, site of a medieval dovecote and which may also have been the site of a manor house used by the Flemings.

The archaeologists will be there for the last three weeks of April and they’re keen to involve as many members of the community as possible.

During the first week, they’ll be using equipment which will measure variations in the earth’s magnetic field which could identify features such as the sites of kilns or fireplaces or even pits and ditches.

Hopefully, this will reveal features they can target and excavate.

James Meek, of Dyfed Archaeological Trust, who’s in charge of the work, points out that while a lot of what they do is physical, using hand tools such as picks and shovels, they also do more careful work with trowels.

“We’ll also need people to do less physical tasks such as pot washing or even helping to do records or drawings or helping with photography.

“We’ll try to do training in as much as possible to give a flavour of what we do in archaeology.

“The ideal would be to find a rubbish tip with medieval artefacts and other material that’s come from Flanders.”

If you want to get involved, you can do so via a link on the website (www.heritagellangwm.org.uk)

You can also hear an interview with James Meek on Heritage Llangwm’s monthly podcast, also via the website or on YouTube at https://youtu.be/iN-ZaQjlAW0

You can also follow progress at the dig and other Heritage Llangwm events in twice-monthly bulletins in the Llangwm Village Shop and Post Office, and on the notice board on the village green.