Wednesday, 28 July 2010
Calne Castle newsletter now online!
Find out about the results of the Calne Castle excavation - the new AFG newsletter is now online!
Monday, 28 June 2010
Calne Castle excavation - information now on AFG webpage
The latest information about the excavations at CalneCastle are now on the AFG webpage. It promises to be an interesting excavation!
Friday, 30 April 2010
Calne Castle
Calne Castle project ready to start
The Archaeology Field Group project at Calne Castle Hill Site project can now get under way, as approval for the first stage has been received from Wiltshire Council. The project aims to find archaeological evidence to show whether a castle ever existed on the site. There are 29 current or now disused local place names containing the word 'castle' which strongly suggests that there was a building, motte and bailey or hill fort of some importance on the site.
A small working party has been busy applying for a Challenge Fund grant from the Council for British Archaeology, obtaining licences, organising field work, and site protocols and has completed a Project Design. The first million brambles have also been cleared on the 10 x 10 metre site.
Initial survey work will carried out jointly with the Bath and Camerton Achaeological Society between 4 and 5 May 2010. In the expectation of stage 2 licence being granted excavation work has been scheduled for 5 to 19 July 2010 with public Open Days on 17 and 18 July to coincide with the first weekend of the Festival of British Archaeology.
Project details below
For further information please contact either of the Joint Site Directors: Robin Holley: 01249 815998 (mobile number on application) email or Wendy Smith 01249 812396, .
Calne Castle Hill. The site is situated at the top of Castle Hill in the Castle Fields park at Grid Reference ST39967552 – 17088572. It lies to the west of Patford Street, south of Castle Street and north of Chaveywell and can be reached near the A4 from Marlborough, Chippenham or Swindon. On street parking is available in Patford Street and Station Road. There is free parking at the lower Sainsbury car park and paid parking (50p for 6 hours) behind Bank House. All of these are a short but steep walk from the site and will be signposted with the AFG trowel.
Excavation, recording, photography, section drawing and finds washing. Every level of experience is welcome. There will be hands-on opportunities. Start time is 9am for 9.30am to 4.30pm daily, mornings, afternoons or whole days. Advance notice of intention to take part is required; members will not be welcome to just turn up. Please make your intentions known to either Robin or Wendy.
Obviously dress for the weather and bring own refreshments. There will be a Portaloo on site. Health and Safety forms to be signed by all members and Risk Assessment information will be available.
The Archaeology Field Group project at Calne Castle Hill Site project can now get under way, as approval for the first stage has been received from Wiltshire Council. The project aims to find archaeological evidence to show whether a castle ever existed on the site. There are 29 current or now disused local place names containing the word 'castle' which strongly suggests that there was a building, motte and bailey or hill fort of some importance on the site.
A small working party has been busy applying for a Challenge Fund grant from the Council for British Archaeology, obtaining licences, organising field work, and site protocols and has completed a Project Design. The first million brambles have also been cleared on the 10 x 10 metre site.
Initial survey work will carried out jointly with the Bath and Camerton Achaeological Society between 4 and 5 May 2010. In the expectation of stage 2 licence being granted excavation work has been scheduled for 5 to 19 July 2010 with public Open Days on 17 and 18 July to coincide with the first weekend of the Festival of British Archaeology.
Project details below
For further information please contact either of the Joint Site Directors: Robin Holley: 01249 815998 (mobile number on application) email
Calne Castle Hill. The site is situated at the top of Castle Hill in the Castle Fields park at Grid Reference ST39967552 – 17088572. It lies to the west of Patford Street, south of Castle Street and north of Chaveywell and can be reached near the A4 from Marlborough, Chippenham or Swindon. On street parking is available in Patford Street and Station Road. There is free parking at the lower Sainsbury car park and paid parking (50p for 6 hours) behind Bank House. All of these are a short but steep walk from the site and will be signposted with the AFG trowel.
Excavation, recording, photography, section drawing and finds washing. Every level of experience is welcome. There will be hands-on opportunities. Start time is 9am for 9.30am to 4.30pm daily, mornings, afternoons or whole days. Advance notice of intention to take part is required; members will not be welcome to just turn up. Please make your intentions known to either Robin or Wendy.
Obviously dress for the weather and bring own refreshments. There will be a Portaloo on site. Health and Safety forms to be signed by all members and Risk Assessment information will be available.
Monday, 19 April 2010
Cumberwell – Roman Site - 24/5 April and 1/2 May
Excavations will be continuing at Cumberwell for 2 further weekends. For details, see main page.
Monday, 29 March 2010
Cumberwell – Roman Site - 2-5 April
The excavation at Cumbewell will be continuing each day over the Easter holiday. For more details - see the main part of the page.
Tuesday, 9 March 2010
New AFG newsletter now online - Cumberwell excavation
A new edition of the AFG newsletter is now online with information about the excavation of a possible shrine at Cumberwell.
Cumberwell – Roman Site
On Saturday 27th February, Project Leader David Rider, organised a day to sort and wash the copious amounts of pottery and bone and view the small finds discovered in the dig at this Roman site so far. The site is earmarked for development for golf courses.
As the dig has progressed, rather than giving greater clarity to what it is, the picture has become more complex and interesting, with it ranging from some sort of farm building (mill or penning stock) to the possibility of a shrine or cemetery. The walls exposed are between 1.5 metres to 2 metres wide extending for some 38m to the south and 16m to the north.
Further digging planned for this year at the site has been hampered by the incredibly cold winter period with snow and frozen ground making any excavation impossible. The land owners are being very co-operative and we thank them for their support and assistance.
David hopes that the weather will take a turn for the better and that he intends to be at the site every Saturday from the 20th March through to Easter with a final dig over the long Easter weekend.
Please come along and support him in his endeavours to identify this interesting Roman or Romano-British site
As the dig has progressed, rather than giving greater clarity to what it is, the picture has become more complex and interesting, with it ranging from some sort of farm building (mill or penning stock) to the possibility of a shrine or cemetery. The walls exposed are between 1.5 metres to 2 metres wide extending for some 38m to the south and 16m to the north.
Further digging planned for this year at the site has been hampered by the incredibly cold winter period with snow and frozen ground making any excavation impossible. The land owners are being very co-operative and we thank them for their support and assistance.
David hopes that the weather will take a turn for the better and that he intends to be at the site every Saturday from the 20th March through to Easter with a final dig over the long Easter weekend.
Please come along and support him in his endeavours to identify this interesting Roman or Romano-British site
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