Archaeologists have unearthed the ruins of the former home of Lord of Man, the Seventh Earl of Derby.

Lathom House, near Ormskirk, West Lancashire, was the setting of an infamous Civil War siege.

Ordered by the King to fortify the Isle of Man against a possible Scottish invasion, Lord Derby left his wife Charlotte de La Tremouille in charge to defend the house, the last remaining Royalist stronghold in Lancashire, against the Parliamentarian forces.

In his absence, the Roundheads urged the Countess to surrender but she refused, insisting that to do so would dishonour her husband.

The ensuing siege, which pitted 2,000 Parliamentarian soldiers against a garrison of 300, lasted from late February to late May 1644.

Lady Charlotte and her household left for the Isle of Man when the siege was finally lifted on the night of May 27.

The house subsequently fell into the hands of Roundheads who tore the building down, selling the timber, lead and masonry.

No one knew where the original building had stood.

But now archaeologists excavating the site have discovered Tudor brickwork and cobbled courtyard paths.

Paul Kenyon, a trustee of the Lathom Park Trust, described it as one of the most 'significant finds for a century'.

So far, numerous artefacts have been found including a cannon ball, buckles, buttons and a bowl thought to date back to the 16th century.