Dig for victory: how archaeology can help veterans' mental health

Volunteers at Strata Florida Abbey in Wales find they enjoy the work and camaraderie

Scrabbling around on hands and knees in a muddy trench surrounded by the misty mountains of mid Wales may not be everyone's idea of a fun way to while away the last days of summer.

But Julian Pitt, a former Royal Navy sailor still traumatised by his experiences in the Falklands and Gulf wars, was delighted to be sifting soil as part of the Strata Florida abbey archaeology project in the wilds of Ceredigion.