IT may not quite be like uncovering the remains of King Richard III, but in one corner of the Cotswolds, the discovery of an Iron Age man has caused quite a stir.

Brothers Tom and Will Greenstock, who took over the The Horse and Groom pub, Bourton-on-the-Hill, in 2005, are hoping to build a much-needed larger car park after finally securing planning permission.

And it was when an archaeological dig was carried out on the site in preparation for the work last week that the pair got more than they bargained for.

A series of medieval walls with 10 rooms arranged around a courtyard was unearthed in what is thought to be a sheep farm complex.

And further excavation uncovered a skeleton dating back to 100BC buried in the foetal position about two metres below the surface.

Will Greenstock said: “Having discovered the house, that was exciting in the first place, but the latest discovery is just crazy. It’s a piece of history metres away from the pub.”

Brother Tom said: “It was a bit of a surprise. The history of the area is quite rich so we thought we would find something but we really didn’t know it would be quite so extensive and exciting.”

Cornelius Barton, fieldwork manager at LP Archaeology who carried out the dig, said: “It’s quite unusual, most people didn’t get buried like that in the Iron Age. It appears the individual was buried with a shoulder of pork.

“There’s also quite a substantial building, probably used by somebody looking after a sheep farm. There’s what looks like the remains of a sheep coat.”

The remains of the man – who has been nicknamed Rusty – has been sent to a specialist osteo-archaeological laboratory for further analysis to determine the age and cause of death.

His final resting place is expected to be in the Corinium Museum, Cirencester.

It is hoped the archaeology team will finish at the pub before Christmas, with the new car park completed by next summer.