AN archaeological dig aiming to prove whether a Viking boat's remains lie beneath a Wirral pub car park is continuing.
It has long been believed that a Nordic boat is buried beneath the site at the Railway Inn in Meols after remains were allegedly unearthed by workmen digging the foundations of the pub back in 1938.
The story goes that the workmen were told to cover up their discovery and rebury their find but one of them drew a map of the boat's whereabouts which survives to this day.
A professional archaeological investigation which aims to reveal whether the remains are still intact began at the site on Saturday and will last all week.
The dig is being carried out by a team from Wirral Archaeology CIC working in partnership with the pub owners, Greene King, under the supervision of professional archaeologist, Charles Jones, who has spent many years researching the site of the Battle of Fulford, which took place in 1066, and scientist Professor Stephen Harding of Nottingham University. 
Exactly what type of vessel lies beneath the pub won't be known until test results are released around May.
On the progress to date, he said: "We began work on Friday with a training session for the volunteers and started work properly on Saturday.
"For the last 24 hours we've been focussed on the business end which is at the front of the pub; which is not easy, because there are all sorts of power supplies, water pipes etc, that we've got to negotiate round the front.
"We've got to be very, very careful not to damage any cables, especially because of the fact that Greene King have been absolutely fantastic in their support of the work."
He added: "At this moment, we don't know kind of vessel it is. We have been taking clay and wood samples from the site.
"The boat is purported to be a very old wooden clinker (overlapping planks), a design of boatbuilding that originated in Scandinavia, and is buried in waterlogged blue clay – a great preservative – and similar to the clay in which the famous Norwegian clinker boats, the Oseberg and Gokstad were deliberately buried.
"The position and depth suggest it is very old, and it may even date from the Viking Age, when Meols was a vibrant seaport and Wirral hosted a large Scandinavian community.
"Any remains, and surrounding soil will undergo a range of scientific analyses including Carbon14 dating, dendrochronology and wood assessment (state of preservation and possible origins).
"These tests will provide us with a context and valuable information about the age and possible origin of the boat."
Praising local support for the work, Steve added: "The public's support has been great. The pub's customers are absolutely delighted that, at last, something's going on, there's been no hint of 'what are you doing to our pub?'"
Wirral Archaeology Community Interest Company's chair, Dominga Devitt, said: "There has been intense local interest in this buried object for many years.
"It has been thought that the boat dates from the Viking era but no professional investigation has ever been carried out to establish the truth, so everyone is really delighted at the prospect of what we might discover."
Lisa Jones, general manager at The Railway, said: "Team Railway is very happy to be part of this historic moment for Meols and supports the work of the Wirral Archaeology group.
"There is a buzz of excitement around this and we look forward to finding out more about what is buried beneath the pub car park.
"Like everyone around here, we all want to identify just what is there and if it really does date back to Viking times."
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