EVIDENCE of a prehistoric settlement has been found during a dig at Fort Richmond. ‘The bedrock is very close to the surface; on top of that we’re picking up prehistoric pottery and flint,’ said archaeology officer Heather Sebire.

‘We know there was a lot of activity in prehistoric times on the headlands.’

Evidence was also found of salt working at La Crocq point and Iron Age graves just below Fort Richmond.

‘We wondered what we might find and sure enough we have found, if not a huge amount, evidence of settlement here in prehistoric times.’

The fort was the island’s last remaining Victorian barracks and the site included the remnants of a Napoleonic battery and several German defence works.

The dig also created a better understanding of the area that will be incorporated into a management plan to bring the fort back to life.

‘It’s gone very well, we’ve been here a fortnight and had as few as six and as many as 16 volunteers working. There was a hardcore of 10 most days,’ said Dr Sebire, who led the dig.

‘It was really just a small investigation, partly to examine what is happening on the eastern border of the whole fort area. Some granite setts were uncovered during maintenance work and we were asked to find out what was happening.’

The team uncovered a 10-metre area of granite paving.

‘We don’t think it’s a gun emplacement, but it might be related to buildings from the Napoleonic fortifications,’ she said.

The fort dated from 1846 and a trench was also dug across an open area thought to be part of the parade area for the barracks.

This showed a pathway that was possibly put down by the Germans and the start of a tunnel leading to a machine gun turret.

The Occupation Society confirmed this with aerial photos dating from the war.

There were many requests to help from people who had not been involved in archaeology before and the dig was used partly as a training exercise.

Community environments projects scheme labourers also helped clear material along the eastern boundary.

‘We’ve had a lot of visitors as well as local interest and information given to us which has been very helpful.’

The trench was being filled in again, but a decision has yet to be made whether the granite will remain exposed.

‘We might carry on at weekends for a little bit longer. It’s the sort of site you could dig all over the place, but we’ve done enough to get a feel.’

The work undertaken by the dig team will lead into a conservation and management plan.

‘It will decide what best practice is for the site, taking into account all aspects, environmental, historical and practical; a management plan to hopefully bring the fort into use.’