HISTORICAL treasures found at the bottom of the River Colne will be unearthed in a Colchester-based episode of River Hunters.

The River Hunters have been swimming across Britain to search the rivers and waterways of the country's most important archaeological sites for a second season of the Sky History show.

In episode five of the six-part series river detectorist Beau Ouimette, TV presenter Rick Edwards and underwater archaeologist Gary Bankhead travel to Colchester to find evidence from the Siege of Colchester.

Exciting finds from this episode include a short barrelled Carbine gun which was commonly used by the Cavalry in the 1600s and a horse stirrup which is believed to be from the siege due to it’s age and position on the river bank.

A spokeswoman for the show said Colchester became embroiled in the better and brutal English Civil War in 1648.

She added: "As royalist supporters retreated inside the city walls, the parliamentarians surrounded the city, cut off escape routes and began to hammer the town with cannon and musket fire. An epic showdown lasted eleven weeks.

"With the River Colne situated on the outskirts of the old city walls, it’s prime hunting ground for siege relics, as the team head to the rural margins of the city to search a crossing that was used by fleeing royalist soldiers attempting to escape.

"Uncovered are incredible artefacts dating back to the Roman occupation of the city and rare finds that could date to the 17th century siege."

For the episode Beau and Rick will be joined by local archaeologists, metal detectorists and historians - some of whom have waited years for this unique opportunity to search these historic sites.

Ben Paites, collections and learning curator for Colchester Museums appears in the episode to discuss the town's vibrant history.

The Siege of Colchester episode will air on Sky History on Monday, May 3 at 9pm.