ARCHAEOLOGISTS gained invaluable insights into the city's history through excavations under the Crowngate shopping centres.

The first dig took place ahead of the construction of the Blackfriars complex, which later became Crowngate Friary Walk.

The second excavation preceded the Crowngate Chapel Walk development and was far more extensive, with archaeologists finding Anglo-Saxon defences, a Roman iron working industry and a medieval bell foundry.

Some 30,000 people visited the Chapel Walk excavation site, according to an archaeology expert James Dinn.

Mr Dinn, aged 61, archaeological officer for Worcester City Council, said: "The first dig was the first time people really got an insight into Worcester's Roman history.

"In those days archaeology wasn't really part of the planning system.

"There was a keen group of local volunteers. They carried out the dig, it was very informal.

"They found Roman roads. I think the digging there was in 1967/1968. Things had changed quite a bit by the mid to late-80s when Chapel Walk was being planned.

"The archaeologists were on-site for about a year there. They found things going back as far as the stone age.

"It was arranged so that all this happened before the developers started on it."

Archaeologists also found medieval pots under Chapel Walk which suggested that the city was trading with Spain.

Mr Dinn said the dig site was about double the combined size of the existing House of Fraser and Primark basements.

He added that the archaeologists carried out the digs in a bid to save anything of historical interest before construction began.

He said the developers had to dig into the top soil to lay foundations and even lower to create basements.

Chris Phillips recounts how her 11-year-old son, Simon, won a Worcester News competition to release a wrecking ball.

The ball was used to destroy Blackfriars car park ahead of the Crowngate Friary Walk development.

Ms Phillips said: "It was a dream come true. He loved demolishing things and putting them back together.

"The radio came up to the house to do a recording of him. He has passed away now, which is very sad."

A book based on the second dig was called Excavations at Deansway, Worcester, 1988-89: Romano-British small town to late medieval city.