YOU don't have to be a high flying archaeologist to delve into the history of the Forest of Dean – ask Catherine Johns, aged 11, who has done her bit to uncover what life was like in the Forest 2,000 years ago by paddling in the brook at Blakeney.

Catherine has discovered a section of a quern stone used by the Romans for grinding corn and probably dating from the 1st to the 4th century AD.

The discovery was made in Bideford Brook which forms the garden boundry at the bottom of her grandfather's home.

Fortunately grandad is Brian Johns, chairman of the Dean Archaeological Group. He recognised Catherine's find as almost identical to a quern stone discovered at a nearby dig carried out by Cirencester Archaeological Trust in August 1997.

Finds from that dig have been deposited at the Dean Heritage Centre and Catherine was able to compare her discovery with the grooved stones there.

Mr Johns' grandchildren often join him on woodland searches for archaeological sites but visits have had to be called off because of the dense bracken growth.

Instead Mr Johns organised the grandchildren – who join him for holidays from Birmingham – to collect stones from the brook to make a garden memorial to their pets.

He converted two old shopping trolleys on wheels into stone carriers and left the rest to the children. That's when Catherine made her discovery.

Mr Johns told the Review: "It is known that a 1st century villa is sited upstream in the middle of Blakeney village. There is much evidence to support the belief that a later 3rd or 4th century villa is also sited locally."