Leicestershire Archaeology Week

Find out about the archaeology of Leicestershire and Leicester with events, talks and guided tours.

12 - 20 July: 10.00am - 4.00pm
Ancient Ashby: Ashby Museum
Witan Archaeology in connection with Ashby Museum will show the evidence for archaeology around Ashby in a display.

12 - 20 July: 2.00pm - 8.00pm
Colliery Dig and Guided walk: Gorse Field, Swannington
Swannington Heritage Trust and Leicestershire Industrial History Society will guide you round the latest excavations at the former Alabama Pit, the reconstructed horse gin, the Peter Neaverson interpretation centre and Hough Mill.

Saturday 12 July: 10.30am – 4.00pm and Sunday 13 July: 2.00pm – 4.00pm
Have a go at Roman Crafts: Rutland County Museum, Catmose Street, Oakham
Come to the museum and have a go at pot making, mosaic making. Small fee for activities .No booking required.

Saturday 12 July: 11.30am – 4.00pm
Romans Revealed: Jewry Wall Museum, St Nicholas Circle, Leicester.
Join ina Family Fun Day with lots of things to try and do; play Roman games, try Roman costume, find out about Roman baths and take a tour of the site with the Friends of Jewry Wall Museum.See local finds and get your own finds identified by the Portable Antiquities Service. See displays and finds from recent excavations with University of Leicester Archaeological Services. Admission Free.

Saturday 12 July : 11.00am - 12.30, and 1.30pm - 4.00pm
Flint knapping demonstration: Rutland County Museum, Catmose Street, Oakham.
Karl Lee will demonstrate flint knapping and will answer questions. FREE, no booking needed

Saturday 12 July: 10.00am - 4.00pm
Identification Day: Old Rectory Museum, Loughborough
Bring along your finds and Loughborough Archaeological Society will identify them. Displays and activities with Loughborough Coin and Search Society.
Also: Try the new Town Trail

Saturday 12 July:
Open excavation at Wykin, Hinckley: Corner Farm Cottage, Wykin
An invitation from the Hinckley Fieldworkers to join in an excavation and metal detecting survey of a cottage site believed to date to c.1650 – 1750AD.
Essential to book in advance. Phone Shirley on 01455 636833 0r Malcolm on 01455 446378

Sunday 13 July: 11.00am - 4.00pm
Dark Age Donington - Donington le Heath Manor House, Coalville.
Come and talk to Anglo-Saxon and Viking re-enactors and archaeologists about life in the so-called Dark ages. Combat, living history, board games, talks, displays and real objects.

Monday 14 July: 2.00pm:
4000 Years of Pottery in Leicestershire Charnwood Museum, Granby Street, Loughborough
Richard Pollard will take you through the pottery used in Leicestershire since the Bronze Age. Illustrated by both slides and pots.

Monday 14 July: 2.30pm:
Guided walk at Burrough Hill
Meet in the car park at Burrough Hill Country Park. Alan McWhirr will guide you around the Iron Age hill fort. For details ring (0116) 2703031 (parking charge)

Tuesday 15 July: 2.00pm:
Time Team in leicestershire - Harborough Museum, Adam and Eve Street, Market Harborough
A talk by Peter Liddle on last summer’s Time Team dig at Stonton Wyville with all the background and behind the scenes info.

Wednesday 16 July: 2.00pm - 4.00pm:
The Romans are coming: Donington le Heath Manor House, Coalville.
Event aimed at children with hands-on activities, games and craft (activity every Wednesday through the holidays)

Wednesday 16 July: 7.30pm:
The Romas in Leicestershire: Donington le Heath Manor House, Coalville.
Talk by Peter Liddle on the Roman period in Leicestershire and Rutland. Free but booking essential on (01530) 831259

Thursday 17 July: 7.30 pm:
The Early Anglo-Saxons in Leicestershire: Melton Carnegie Museum.
Talk by Richard Knox on life and death in Leicestershire from 450 – 700AD. Free but booking essential on (01664) 569946.

Thursday 17 July: 3.00pm and 7.00pm:
Grace Dieu Priory Guided Walk: Grace Dieu Priory, near Thringstone.
Ernie Miller from the Friends of Grace Dieu will show you the secrets of Leicestershire’s medieval nunnery. Meet at the Bull’s Head Car Park. Charge:£3

Thursday 17 July: 10.15am to 4.30pm
“Heartland, Homeland or Frontier” - Scheduled (and not so scheduled) monuments of the Upper Welland Valley
A tour of the significant monuments and earthworks of the Welland Valley west of Market Harborough. The Upper Welland Archaeological Group will guide visitors around each site on foot (mostly farmland) and provide an escort between. Please bring a packed lunch and a drink. Donations welcome. For details call  01604 637034.

Friday 18 July: 7.30pm:
The Archaeology of Grace Dieu Priory - Hinckley Museum, Bond Street, Hinckley
Speaker: Ernie Miller from the Friends of Grace Dieu will give an illustrated talk on the recent research on Leicestershire’s finest medieval nunnery.

Friday 18 July: 2.00pm - 6.00pm
Belton Village Walk
Find out how to present the heritage of your own village. Cost £5 (towards Church Funds). Booking essential (Max 15).Contact Ann Tarver 01530 222458

Saturday 19 and Sunday 20 July: 10.30am – 5.00pm:
Village History and Archaeology Exhibition: Gt Easton Village Hall
Exhibits will include local archaeology (including Time Team’s 2003 Big Dig excavations), Old buildings, Old photographs, Moore and Hadders Corset Factory;, old farm tools, the census and metal detector finds. Associated guided walks of the village.

Saturday 19 and Sunday 20 July: 9.30am – 4.30pm:
Geophys in action: Stenning Hall, Hallaton
Hallaton Fieldwork Group will display the results of two years work with displays, demos, hands-on geophys activities and other archaeological activities, including flint knapping demonstrations by Bob Wells (Saturday only).

Saturday 19 July: 10.30 – 4.00pm and Sunday 20 July: 2.00pm – 4.00pm:
Have a go at Roman Crafts Rutland County Museum, Catmose Street, Oakham
Come to the museum and have a go at pot making, mosaic making. Small fee for activities No booking required.

Saturday 19 July:
Open excavation at Wykin, Hinckley - Corner Farm Cottage, Wykin
An invitation from the Hinckley Fieldworkers to join in an excavation and metal detecting survey of a cottage site believed to date to c.1650 – 1750AD.
Essential to book in advance. Phone Shirley on 01455 636833 0r Malcolm on 01455 446378

Saturday 19 July: 10.30am – 4.00pm:
History Detectives Old Rectory, Loughborough
Hands on archaeological activities and games for children of all ages.

Sunday 20 July: 2.00pm:
Archaeological Tour of Great Bowden. Start at Village Hall
Mud and stiles may be encountered. Tea and cakes available in the Village Hall. Plenty to do in addition to the walk, whatever the weather.

Sunday 20 July: 11.00am - 5.00pm:
Step Back in Time: Beacon Hill, Woodhouse Eaves.
Beacon steps back 3000 years and more with flint knapping, bronze smithing, archaeological artefacts, greenwood working, children’s activities and more.Adults £3.00, Concessions £2.00 Family (2 adults, 3 concessions) £8 Family (1 adult, 3 concessions) £5 Car Parking £1.50

Sunday 20 July: 10.30am – 4.30pm:
Picnic at Papillon Papillon Hall Farm on the A4304 between Lubenham and Theddingworth. OS Grid Ref. SP 688 868
See the remains of Papillon Hall, constructed in the 1620’s and remodelled by Sir Edwin Lutyens and Gertrude Jekyll in 1904. Evidence of continuous occupation on the site dates back to the Iron Age.
The Upper Welland Archaeological Group will show visitors around this nationally significant site and explain the findings from their excavations.
Whilst you are here enjoy the landscape whilst eating your picnic!
Donations welcome. No booking needed. For details call  01604 637034

Sunday 20 July: 3.30pm:
In Search of Bosworth Field - Heritage Room, Bosworth Battlefield Centre
Glenn Foard of the Battlefield Trust will explain the archaeological survey looking for the Battle of Bosworth. Free but booking essential on (01455) 290429.
E-mail: bosworth@leics.gov.uk.

Supported by: Leicestershire County Council; Leicestershire Museums Archaeological Fieldwork Group; Leicestershire Archaeological and Historical Society; Loughborough Archaeological and Historical Society; Leicestershire Industrial History Society.

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How to get involved
Leicestershire and Rutland have a vibrant archaeological scene. New members are always welcome at all the local groups. Come along to the many events during the week and talk to members of the various groups or write to:

Leicestershire Museums Archaeological Fieldwork Group
c/o Archaeological Services Team, Room 500, County Hall, Glenfield, Leicester, LE3 8TE. Tel: 0116 3058326.
The Fieldwork Group has 400 members countywide and is an umbrella group for those interested in active fieldwork co-ordinating a network of over 20 local groups across Leicestershire. It runs a lecture series and trips as well as training days.

Leicestershire Archaeological and Historical Society
Alan McWhirr (Hon Sec), 37 Dovedale Road, Leicester, LE2 2DW
The ‘Arch and Hist’ is Leicestershire’s oldest archaeological society, having recently celebrated its 150^th birthday. It publishes the ‘Transactions’ – the journal of record for the county – and the Leicestershire Historian. It runs a lecture series and trips.

Loughborough Archaeological and Historical Society
Janet Slatter (chair), 100 Main Street, Long Whatton, Leics, LE12 5DG
The Society covers the Loughborough area and runs a popular lecture series and The Old Rectory Museum in Loughborough.

Leicestershire Industrial History Society (LIHS)
LIHS c/o David Lyne, at 10 Somerville Road, Leicester, LE3 2ET tel 01162919706, e-mail to lihs99@ntlworld.com. Or the  Vice - Chairman, Alan Brittan, on 01773 710133. or see our Web site,   http://lihs.org.uk

Founded in 1969 “For the study & appreciation of industrial history and archaeology”, the society has about 60 members. It meets on or about the third Tuesday of the month at 7.30pm, October to April at Riverside Business & Enterprise College, Lyncote Road, Rowley Fields Leicester. Visitors are always welcome to these meetings. Also summer visits and regular excavations of industrial sites.

For details of other groups: please contact Peter Liddle, Keeper of Archaeology, Room 500, County Hall, Glenfield, Leicester, LE3 8TE.
Phone: (0116) 265 8326; e-mail: pliddle@leics.gov.uk

Friends of Jewry Wall Museum
Join 'Ratae Romans' for Roman re-enactments and experimental archaeology, contact Sam Glasswell via Jewry Wall Museum.