ROCK musician Bill Wyman has allowed a team of archaeologists into the grounds of his Suffolk mansion.The former Rolling Stones bass guitarist who is a history enthusiast has unearthed his secret passion with the help of the television show Time Team.

ROCK musician Bill Wyman has allowed a team of archaeologists into the grounds of his Suffolk mansion.

The former Rolling Stones bass guitarist who is a history enthusiast has unearthed his secret passion with the help of the television show Time Team.

A group of archaeologists from the popular Channel Four show has visited Mr Wyman's 15th Century moated manor in Gedding, near Stowmarket, as part of next week's Big Dig.

Producers of the Big Dig hope it will biggest ever mass archaeological dig in Britain.

Mr Wyman, 66, explained: "I always watch Time Team, having been interested in archaeology for 40 years.

"It's great the programme has helped introduce so many new people to a subject that used to be seen as stuffy."

A Time Team spokeswoman confirmed they had excavated parts of the vast Gedding Hall estate, built in 1491, but she remained tight-lipped over whether anything was found.

Estate manager Mike Haugh said: "There's obviously a lot of history here and it went really well.

"Bill enjoyed it as well and was with them most of the time. That's his interest and he's been doing it for years. We've had discovery people here before and he's really into it."

Mr Haugh also revealed Mr Wyman's was currently writing a book about the history of Gedding, the hall and its surrounding area.

The three times married star joined the Rolling Stones in 1962 and helped them to worldwide fame with hits including It's All Over Now and (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction.

He eventually left the group in 1992 but stayed friends with the group and eventually chronicled the history of the band last year in Rolling With The Stones.

He has now started touring with 12-piece band the Rhythm Kings.

Mr Wyman, who has owned Gedding Hall for 34 years, spends most of his time in Suffolk with wife Suzanne Accosta and children Katie, eight, Jessie, seven, and Matilda, five.

The Time Team Big Dig will have live daily programmes from Sunday culminating in the mass archaeological dig over the weekend of June 28 and 29.

Every night from 22 June, Tony Robinson and the team will be presenting live TV coverage of preparations for the big event from around the country.

The footage at Gedding Hall will be shown on one of the weekday programmes.