By Aura Sabadus

It is a discovery which has astonished archaeologists and has set tongues wagging in a small village near Swaffham.

Residents in West Acre have always suspected their village once boasted an early 12th century chapel.

Yet despite some records mentioning the existence of St Peter's Chapel in the distant past, they could not find any traces of the edifice which was dismantled at the time of the Reformation.

Now, thanks to modern technology and dedication, a team of specialists and volunteers from all over the country have unearthed the foundation of the mediaeval building along with human remains.

Working with Steve Brown, a metal detectorist, professional archaeologists John Shepherd and Michael de Bootman identified the site to the west of West Acre and started digging at the end of last month

“He [Steve] noticed the slightest traces of mortar adhering to pieces of flint in a field near St Peter's pit and Michael and I followed up this sighting with a radar survey of the field,” said Mr Shepherd who worked for the Institute of Archaeology in London and is now looking to start a new project with Islington Museum.

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