THE public can now gain a tantalising glimpse into a secret world dating back to Roman times and beyond which lies buried beneath a busy Worcester roundabout.

Public tours of the excavated Worcester Cathedral Roundabout site, which have already produced remains of the city's Roman past, are available from tomorrow (Wednesday).

The 10 week dig, which has unearthed Roman and Anglo-Saxon pottery, takes place before the site is transformed as part of the multi-million Worcester Cathedral square retail and leisure scheme.

The £1.1 million revamp will see the Cathedral roundabout shrink in size to create a giant piazza-style open space for people to relax in.

The Anglo-Saxon pottery, which is well-preserved Stafford ware, dates back to the 9th century and is associated with ecclesiastical sites, showing the area's long history as a holy centre. Richard Bradley, project officer for Worcestershire Archive and Archaeology Service, who acted as a tour guide during a press peek at the site today, said the area remained a defensive burgh long after the Romans left.

Mr Bradley said: "The most exciting thing is picking up these early hints of medieval Worcester. It is not often you get to look in this part of the city. It is not often, in this urban scenario, that you get survivals of early deposits amongst everything else."

Other remains include 13th century roof tiles which were introduced in place of thatched roofs to prevent the spread of devastating fires which ravaged the city in 1113, 1131, 1139 and again in 1189.

We were also shown Lich Street which bordered the Cathedral precints and dates back to medieval times. "Lich" derives from the Anglo-Saxon word for corpse as the site borders a cemetery.

One 17th century cellar shows stones believed to come from Worcester's medieval city walls which were 'slighted' following the Battle of Worcester in 1651 showing how people recycled good stone to use it in later structures.

Amongst the later finds was masonry believed to be from the spire of St Michael's Church, dating back to 1840, and a Military Police cap badge recovered from an infilled cellar on the north side of Lich Street dating back to 1936-46.

The badge is likely to have belonged to a soldier serving in the Corps of Military Police during the Second World War.

Another find was masonry from the spire of St Martin's Church which dates back to the 1840s Mr Bradley said the area is the earliest defended part of the city, including at one time an Iron Age ditch which was later filled in by the Romans.

The site would have been occupied for a long time because it formed a plateau above a river crossing.

The buildings by the Cathedral would have been prosperous in medieval times but later the wealth of the area suffered and became slum housing with rooms divided up into smaller and smaller rooms.

At times the 10 week excavation, which involved a piece of 13 tonne machinery, has been challenging because of all the cables and pipes including fibre optic, CCTV and electric cables but also because of the urban setting.

Many of the visible foundations now visible date back to Victorian or Georgian times, buildings demolished in the 1960s.

The work, which started in March forms the preparations for the Worcester Cathedral square retail and leisure scheme, is now well under way with archaeologists working hard to uncover and record the ground underneath the centre of the roundabout.

For the next three weeks, starting tomorrow (Wednesday April 29), a member of the Archive and Archaeology team will be at the roundabout from Wednesday to Friday from 9.30am until 3.30pm to talk to people and explain what has been found.

Towards the end of the week the team hope to be able to move into one of the vacant shop units next to the roundabout to use as a base, where they will be able to show historic photos and maps, as well as displaying a number of the finds.

Site tours will be available for anyone who wants a closer look, guided by a member of staff.

Those who want to take part should join the tour either at the end of High Street or in the shop to ensure a safe crossing over the busy road.

Anyone who has any information on friends or relatives who served as a 'Red Cap' and subsequently lived in or near Lich Street after the war is urged to get in touch. You can do this by emailing explorethepast@worcestershire.gov.uk