Archaeologists will return to the site of the ancient Cookham Abbey this month as they continue to investigate why sick and dying people travelled there more than 1,200 years ago.

Researchers from the University of Reading will begin their sixth consecutive summer excavation at the early medieval monastery on Monday, hoping to discover more about one of England’s earliest Christian communities.

Previous excavations at the site have uncovered an eighth and ninth-century cemetery containing more than two dozen skeletons showing evidence of serious illnesses, including cancer and other diseases.

The discoveries have led researchers to believe the monastery may have been one of England’s earliest centres providing care for the sick and dying.

Cookham Abbey, which was ruled by the Mercian Queen Cynethryth around 1,200 years ago, lay buried beneath a field in the village after it was abandoned towards the end of the ninth century.

This year’s excavation will focus on uncovering more evidence about the people buried there and whether they were members of the monastic community, residents or pilgrims who travelled along the River Thames seeking care and spiritual comfort.

Professor Gabor Thomas, who leads the University of Reading excavations, said: “We already know Cookham Abbey was a place of healing.

“Sick and dying people came here to be cared for in what may have been one of the earliest centres of its kind in England.

“The big question now is, who were these people?

“Were they members of the monastic community, residents, or were they pilgrims who travelled to Cookham along the River Thames to receive salvation for their bodies and souls?

“We are studying ancient DNA and the chemical traces preserved in the buried remains to learn more about the people buried at Cookham Abbey and the illnesses they suffered from.

“Every skeleton and every object we uncover helps us picture the daily reality of being ill more than 1,000 years ago, and how people coped with pain and illness that they had little power to treat."

The excavation has already attracted national attention after featuring on Channel 4’s Sandi Toksvig's Hidden Wonders last year.

Researchers will also continue exploring the wider monastic landscape, including communal buildings where monks lived and ate, wells and one of England's earliest known watermills.

Visitors will once again be able to tour the site in July and early August, while a new artist-in-residence specialising in ceramics will create works inspired by the discoveries.

The excavations, carried out by the University of Reading in partnership with Holy Trinity Church, Cookham, will continue until August 8.

The latest work follows a £249,755 grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund to support the Cookham Abbey Connects project.

The funding will enable further archaeological research while expanding community engagement through school visits, heritage walks, travelling exhibitions and outreach programmes across East Berkshire, including Maidenhead and Slough.

The project also aims to make archaeology more accessible by working with groups that have traditionally had limited opportunities to engage with local heritage, including refugees, people with disabilities and multi-faith communities.

Tours of the excavation can be booked through the Friends of Cookham Abbey from July 10.