TIME Team fans who've always wanted to discover hidden treasures should get along to the New Forest this weekend.

More than 30 residents of the village of Burley - famed for its links to witchcraft -will be holding archaeological digs in their own gardens in the hope of finding fascinating items such as pottery, coins and bone.

Hosted by Burley Local History Society and Burley Parish Council, with support from the New Forest National Park Authority, Dig Burley takes place in Discover National Parks Week as part of efforts to get people outside and discovering more about the UK’s 15 National Parks.

Dig Burley will work on a similar format to open gardens, welcoming visitors into resident’s gardens throughout the weekend to see their progress and any finds. Residents will display signs on their doors to show they are taking part, with test pits open from 10am across the weekend.

A test pit is a metre-square trench measuring up to a metre deep that can be dug by hand, by anyone, in an open space in their garden. It is dug layer by layer and carefully recorded, with the aim of identifying evidence of past human activity.

New Forest National Park Authority Community Archaeologist, James Brown, said: "It’s great to see the community coming together to discover more about their local heritage and attempt to piece together a picture of Burley’s early settlements.

"It is a rare opportunity to see beneath the surface of the National Park and we are excited to see what interesting artefacts might be found and hope to see people at Dig Burley HQ.’

Chair of The Burley Historical Society, David Etchells, said: "This is the first such community dig within the New Forest and is eagerly anticipated by the village.

"Burley has a fascinating local history, of which there is undoubtedly a great deal more to discover. Hopefully, much will be learned from the dig."

And Time Team fans may want to book the talk taking place at Burley Manor on Friday April 12 with Professor Tim Taylor, creator and series producer of Time Team. It's a free event open to all, but tickets need to be booked in advance.

*burleymanor.com/whats-on/dig-burley/