SAINT Matthew’s Church at Coldridge was the scene of a recent two-day archaeological dig.

Led by the Dartmoor and Exeter Diocese archaeologist, Andy Crabb, a team of around 20 members of the ACE Archaeology Club carried out numerous test-pit excavations around the walls of the church.

This dig was in conjunction with the investigations being carried out in the church for Philippa Langley’s “Missing Princes Project”, which is attempting to find out what happened to the Princes in the Tower, Edward V and Richard of York.

This project will be the subject of a Channel 4 documentary and a book in November this year.

The church has one of only two contemporary stained glass images of Edward V that exist today as well as other evidence linking the church with the House of York.

The archaeological excavations set out to discover what fragments of stained glass lay in the ground below the church windows, following the destruction of the Reformation, and thus to provide more information about the nature and position of the windows that survived.

Amazingly the painstaking work by ACE recovered approximately 400 pieces of glass which were carefully catalogued and will require cleaning and examination before the results can be presented.

If you are interested in the work of the Missing Princes Project, guided tours and slide shows are held on one day each month as well as delicious meals in Coldridge Village Hall.

Bookings can be made through the village website: https://www.middevonparish.co.uk/coldridge/st-matthews-church/ .