East Harptree

The Archaeological Projects Team will be excavating in East Harptree together with volunteers from the Harptrees History Society and other local history/archaeology groups to explore the history of the village. From 20th April until 15th May, we will be digging two trenches in Haydon’s Field and a series of test pits throughout the village, trying to answer questions like:

• When was the village first established?
• What was there before the village was founded?
• How did the structure of and activities in the village change over time?

Members of Harptrees History Society surveyed earthworks in Haydon’s Field in 2007 and, working with local volunteers, English Heritage’s Geophysics Team carried out resistivity and magnetometry surveys in July 2008. Results from the surveys suggested evidence for the location of property boundaries, the layout of streets and possible building remains.

We will be excavating two trenches, positioned to investigate the earthworks and the anomalies revealed by the geophysical survey. We hope to answer questions like:

• What structures existed and what activities took place in and around the earthworks in Haydon's Field?
• When were any buildings and yards first built, when were they abandoned, and why?

Providing training for volunteers in the wide range of tasks involved in taking an archaeological excavation from start to finish is a core aspect of the project. We want to help give people from the community the skills, experience and support they will need to undertake further research in the future.

For more information, contact Andrew Lowerre – 02392 856 765