During excavation we identified a large dark area behind the moat. Careful excavation showed that this had originally been a well extending below the water table. Its wet, oxygen-poor fills preserved materials that would normally decay, including wood and leather.

Near the bottom of the well the team found something exceptional: a complete leather belt still retaining its buckle and numerous metal studs. The object was immediately sent for conservation to ensure its preservation after removal from the waterlogged environment.

The medieval leather belt just after its discovery in the well