CESS pits, pentagrams and a mediaeval chapel - these are just some of the discoveries unearthed during the Commandery excavation.

The dig, that came to an end on Sunday, has helped to build an incredibly rich picture of the city's past.

Experts knew that the timber framed building in Sidbury has a potted past with periods as a hospital, a home, a factory and most famously as a civil war headquarters, but when it came to the medieval times the archaeologists were, by their own admission, in the dark.

Tradition told them that the original building was a hospital founded by Saint Wulfstan around 1085.

Now, six weeks of digging has revealed the chapel that everybody knew existed.

Hal Dalwood, project manager, said: "We found the east end of the chapel, where the high altar would have been.

"It must have stretched back across the whole width of the site."

The well preserved chapel bears a number of masons marks in the shape of pentagrams (five pointed stars) and crosses.

They are similar to the mason marks found in Worcester Cathedral. Mr Dalwood said: "It is quite exciting. There are pillars from the mediaeval church standing in the Commandery garden, probably moved by the Victorians. Now we know where they came from."

The chapel dates back to the 12th/13th Century and was one of the last monasteries dissolved by Henry VIII.

Other finds included a mediaeval penny, two cess pits built in the early 19th century, a gold leaf painted piece of stone, tiles stamped with the crests of local families who donated money to the building, and a huge amount of demolition rubble - the carved, decorative stones that could not be re-used.

Mr Dalwood said: "We had a great team on site and the volunteers were brilliant. It was a real mixture of people who really enjoyed it and that is what also matters.

"When you find your first interesting find, it is something you will remember in 30 years time."

The finds are now being washed and marked, weighed and sorted.

In about six months' time the archaeologists will publish the final report on the excavation and it looks like it is going to be a good read.