HISTORIC finds dating back to the Roman period, unearthed in a Chippenham garden, are being displayed at Chippenham Museum.

Antiques Roadshow experts Marc and Lisa Allum offered up their garden in St Mary Street for excavation last August.

Archaeologists believe the wall that runs along the north east side of the church in St Mary Street is highly likely to be the line of the Saxon defence.

A team headed up by historian and author Mike Stone dug down two-and-a-half metres into the Allums’ garden in the hope of finding this line.

On January 6, 878, Viking King Guthrum made a surprise night-time attack on Chippenham and ousted Alfred, King of the West Saxons.

The diggers last summer did not find evidence of the Saxon defences, but what they did find, including pottery from the Roman and medieval periods. can be seen at the Seeking Saxon Chippenham exhibition.

They also unearthed several animal bones, bronze and iron pins and knives, and clay pipes from the 17th and 18th centuries.

Melissa Barnett, curator at Chippenham Museum, said: “The museum team has been searching for Chippenham’s important Saxon origins for some time.

“Chippenham was a royal estate and the Saxon kings had a palace here. Alfred’s sister and daughter were both married here, and of course Alfred defeated the Vikings in Chippenham thus changing the course of English history.

“The seeking Saxon Chippenham project is an important step forward and we are extremely grateful to the mainly volunteer led team of archaeologists who are helping search for Saxon Chippenham.”

Marc Allum, who opened the exhibition, said it was worth having their lawn ruined for the fun of finding what was down there. He said: "Lisa and I are both history addicts. It is all part of a drive to get Alfred’s place in Chippenham’s history over to a bigger audience."

Seeking Saxon Chippenham, curated by archaeologist and museum volunteer Clive Green, runs until June 25.