A series of events is being organised to showcase the excavations in Heslington, which are being carried out ahead of the £500m expansion of York University.

Experts at the university's department of archaeology are organising a series of free events about the site of the excavations, including tours of the dig for local schoolchildren and public talks.

Finds from the excavations will be on show a week on Saturday from 2 to 4pm at a fair to mark the 150th anniversary of Heslington Church, when experts will be on hand to answer questions and discuss the history of the Heslington East site.

Cath Neal, fieldwork officer for the Heslington East archaeological project, said: "It's crucial that the local community is involved in archaeological projects – both to inform local residents about what's happening on their doorstep, and to benefit the project itself.

"This kind of involvement frequently produces more vibrant and relevant results. That's why we're committed to developing local community involvement over the course of the project and providing a wide range of opportunities for people to get involved."

Other events include a public talk explaining the archaeology of the Heslington East site which will be held in Heslington Church tomorrow from 7pm.

Pupils from Badger Hill and Lord Deramore's primary schools will have a chance to experience the Roman and medieval archaeology of the site first-hand in a series of specially designed tours which are due to take place on Thursday and Friday next week.

And on Bank Holiday Monday May 26, guided tours of the dig open to all will be conducted by archaeology experts every hour from 11am to 4pm.

Work is due to start this summer on the huge expansion of York University, which will increase student figures by 5,400 – more than 50 per cent.

Housing for 3,300 students will also be built, along with sports facilities and research institutes.

Free tickets for the guided tours are available from
publiclectures@york.ac.uk or by ringing 01904 432622.