Discussion Group: A review of this year’s Community Digs
Wednesday 5th November, 7:30pm in the Library Meeting Room
The next meeting of the Museum Discussion Group will be held on Wednesday 3rd December at 7:30pm in the Library Meeting Room, where Roy Canham will be examining the results of both Community Digs (April and August) and considering future action.
These Museum Discussion Group sessions are FREE to...
Read MoreCommunity Dig Photos – 16th August 2014
There was lots of interest at the Community Dig on Saturday 16th August.
Click the images below to see larger versions of the photos.
... Read MoreAugust Community Dig – update on trenches
Here is the plan for the position of trenches for our August 2014 Community Dig.
In Victory Field, trench 1 will examine the eastern part of the bank which we excavated on the tithe barn side of the wall. Geophysics in this area adjacent to the wall is a little mystifying, showing an area blank of masonry, but...
Read MoreApril 2014 Community Dig Results
The excavation in April 2014 was based on the results of a geophysical survey carried out by Sophie Hawke and colleagues from Bath & Camerton Archaeological Society.
A feature of interest was the alignment of stone or masonry parallel to the wall forming the eastern boundary of Rick Field. This wall is visible on an early 18th century map and is clearly part of the layout of Barton...
Read MoreWhy dig up Bradford?
In our last Newsletter we looked at some of the results of our first dig, located to the east of the Tithe Barn. We are planning more work starting Monday 11th August in the same area, and also in adjacent Victory Field if we can get permission. A good moment perhaps to discuss why we want to dig at all!
Early Bradford is a...
Read MoreThe Community Dig
Monday 11th – Sunday 24th August, Hen Field and Victory Field
The defensive bank showing both side of field boundary wall (click the image to see a larger version)
We are off again! Our dig in April produced a surprising result. A slight bank on the edge of the paddock east of the tithe barn...
Read MoreCommunity Dig – Day 7 – Some might say…
That’s it, a whole week done. My, how time flies when you’re shovelling clay! I’ve been on my own in Trench 1 for most of the day, but we’ve had lots of help from other volunteers in Trenches 2 and 3. Also, a test pit in Hen’s Orchard, which produced Medieval pottery.
Trench 3 (right side by the wall) is being explored to see if what lies below the stone spread is the sandy...
Read MoreCommunity Dig – Day 6 – Julia’s gone potty
It was a little quieter on site today, as four in the morning turned into the Triumvirate of myself, Julia and of course, ‘The Boss’, Roy after lunch.
We’ve made good progress today. I’ve hacked out most of Trench 1 down to nearly 5 feet at the top end and at over 2 metres in length that was a lot of mattocking! The blisters on my hands now have blisters of their own and the...
Read MoreCommunity Dig – Day 5 – Looking for a date?
Well I’m pleased to announce that Trench 1 has redeemed itself. It’s an effort now to get in and out of our trench and by first tea break the only signs of life were the frequent shovels of soil coming from seemingly nowhere into our buckets on the topside of the trench.
Julia had a very frustrating morning; she thought she had hit the natural. It was just like being at the beach...
Read MoreCommunity Dig 2014 – Day 4 – Vino anyone?
Well it’s been a slow but progressive day for Trenches 2 and 3. Trench 1, however, needs to hang its head in shame. On the plus side it’s been a beautiful day to be down a hole and we’ve had lots of people stop and ask us what we’re up to, thankfully out of curiosity and not suspicion.
Trench 3 has a tremendous cascade of limestone falling away from the wall that separates the...
Read MoreCommunity Dig 2014 – Day Three – Wonky just won’t do
Two things are becoming apparent after only 3 days. The first is that we have dumped all sorts of rubbish into the ground over the past 50 years or so. Trench 3, the new trench, had an abundance of smashed glass, barbed wire and nails in the upper-most layer. The second is that our water bills, particularly those in Trench 1, will be more this month as a result of the strenuous stone moving,...
Read MoreCommunity Dig 2014 – Day Two – Can anyone smell gas?
Well at the end of day two it was onwards and downwards! Trench Two, or the gassy trench, contained an abundance of broken and burnt brick in a very dark deposit. With a sporadic whiff of gas between trowels we began to wonder if we had left the camp stove burning. However, it was in fact the remains of an old gas works that used to sit on the playing field. Contained in this dark material...
Read MoreCommunity Dig 2014 – Day One – Turf Off!
The day started in earnest at 9am with the first sods of turf being removed and stacked by the wall. By 10am we had it all removed and the exciting prospect of hand excavation started. What would we find? Oh the anticipation! Within minutes we came across an area of stones in the top right corner of Trench 1. Could it be part of a wall, a building, a grand hall, no, no, surely a Medieval...
Read MoreThe Community Dig 2014
. A blog documenting a volunteer’s experiences taking part in Bradford on Avon Museum’s excavations at Barton Farm in 2014 .
Dear Reader
Welcome to the Community Dig Daily Report page, a review of the days archaeology, progress and finds. I hope you enjoy reading them and when you’ve finished,...
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