Guided tours of the archeological dig currently taking place at St James' Priory, are being held on Saturday 22nd January. Visitors will also have a chance to view some of the artifacts which have been uncovered, which include a complete medieval jug and cooking pot dating from the 13th century. The redevelopment of Bristol Bus Station, part of the £40m regeneration scheme for the city centre, has given archaeologists the chance to investigate more of the site of St James' Priory. Since October 2004 archaeologists from the city's archaeology unit, have uncovered part of the cloister and other remains of the Priory, which lay to the north of the church beneath the bus station. History St James' Priory was built early in the 12th century and was the first of several to be built on the banks of the River Frome and elsewhere in Bristol.
 | | Possible cloister wall |
These included the Dominican Friary founded in Broadmead in 1227, St Mark's Hospital (opposite College Green) built about 1230, St Bartholomew's Hospital (at the bottom of Christmas Steps) founded between 1231 and 1234, the Franciscan Friary (Lewins Mead) founded before 1250 and the Carmelite Friary (beneath the Colston House) founded in 1256 - not forgetting St Augustines' Abbey (1140) and St Mary Magdalene (bottom of St Michael's Hill) in about 1170. The last time part of St James' Priory was excavated by archaeologists was in 1995, and this is now covered by a new office block on Cannon Street next to the Bus Station. Then, part of the original east end of the church was revealed along with more than 200 human burials from the adjoining burial ground. Bodies Already the bodies of at least six individuals have been unearthed; one of which was an adult female who would have been about 5ft tall. She was buried in a shallow grave and would probably have been wrapped in a shroud, though there is no evidence for this. The Priory was surrendered to the Crown in 1540 and its lands passed into the ownership of Henry Brayne who converted the conventual buildings to a 'great manor house'. The site of the manor house was later occupied by a sugarhouse (1711) where sugar from the Colonies was refined. Part of the bus station has been temporarily relocated to allow the dig to take place. The site will be open from 10am - 4pm on Saturday 22nd January for guided tours, via the entrance on the Whitson Street side of the bus station. | 
