SURVEY work has started on clearing an old pond in Bar-rington which is expected to produce a treasure trove of Medieval artefacts.

The pond has long been filled in but older villagers in Barrington can still recall it being used in the 1920s for people to wash their clothes.

Claire Hart, who is organising the environmental project, said: “We’ve started to clear the site of the original medieval pond in Water Street.

“It will be designed to enhance the area and will not involve any major excavation or changes to the water course.”

Claire said that the pond site was once thought to have been provided to the village by the owners of Barrington Court as a water source for washing.

The Barrington Community Wildlife Project group is delighted to get the services of archaeologist Andrew Tizzard and graphic de-signer and map expert Stephen Honey, of AS Archaeology and He-ritage Services, to help oversee the work.

They will make a careful record of what is found and they will also undertake a detailed survey.

Andrew said: “I am pretty sure that we will find plenty of things in the pond such as Medieval buttons.”

Claire added: “The local school children have already enthusiastically undertaken a survey of their playing fields, with the help of An-drew and Stephen, in preparation for creating an extra new pond and bog area within their playing field, which will form the second stage of this project.”

Organisers are set to receive a £250 boost from Wessex Water as part of its Watermark scheme to-wards the project.