Budding young archaeologists hope to unearth clues to the past when they get hands-on with excavations in Keighley and Bradford.

Students from 20 schools will take part in the My Place Project, which is funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund and supported by West Yorkshire Joint Services, in partnership with Bradford Museums and Galleries.

They will head to Cliffe Castle in Keighley and Bolling Hall at Bradford next month.

Archaeologists hope that with the help of the students, they will unearth items from medieval to early Victorian times.

Finds such as Victorian pottery along with discoveries of iron work, ceramics, window and vessel glass, clay pipe fragments and animal bones are not uncommon in the area.

The one-month summer term digs with the students will take place at Cliffe Castle from June 24 to July 3 and in the grounds of Bolling Hall from June 10 to 21.

Alongside the outdoor activities, supporting lessons will see the young people examining their finds by cataloguing, archiving and reconstructing artefacts.

Graham Hebblethwaite, chief officer of West Yorkshire Joint Services, said: “This project is undoubtedly an exciting, innovative way to bring the history of our communities alive to our young residents.”