Don't be surprised if someone thrusts a pickaxe in your hand when you visit the Commandery, says Andrea Calvesbert

The historic Commandery in Worcester is closed for refurbishment, but visitors are still most welcome as behind the scenes there is a hive of activity.

When the museum closed in September last year for a major reorganisation, its curators felt it would be an ideal time to see what was really hidden beneath the Commandery gardens.

Archaeologists, helped by a team of enthusiastic volunteers, have been gradually peeling back layers of earth to reveal some of the site's mediaeval past. So far it has been extremely exciting and the team returned this summer to uncover more remains of the medieval hospital known to have been on the site.

Stone walls believed to be the base for a timber-framed building dating to the 16th Century or earlier were discovered, along with sandstone foundations dating back to medieval times and an 18th century cobbled yard.

The building is thought to have been founded as a hospital in about 1085 by Saint Wulfstan, then Bishop of Worcester. However, the hospital was built around a much earlier Saxon chapel dedicated to Saint Gudwal -- which was located to the north of the

present building.

The Commandery website says: "Although all traces of this chapel have gone from the area, it must have been a considerable structure, today all that remains are the base pillars of three nave columns placed on the lawn outside and some medieval glass re-used in the Great Hall windows."

The Commandery shop and visitor centre are still open during the work and are well worth a visit between Tuesday and Sunday. For more information, call 01905 361821.

Behind those timbers lie centuries of history.