DIG SITES FOR THE BIG ATHELSTAN DIG REVEALED

DETAILS of 13 sites where archaeological digs will take place this coming weekend in Malmesbury have been revealed as Malmesbury’s Big Athelstan Dig begins. Three other sites of archaeological interest will also be open to visit.

Archaeologists from Cotswold Archaeology will be in Malmesbury preparing the various test pit sites for excavation later this week with support of students from Malmesbury School who will be learning about the skills and discipline of a dig, the finding, preservation and recording of finds.

Each site will be open to the public from 10.30am to 4pm on Saturday and Sunday (July  6 & 7). The sites with digs taking place with test pits of around  a metre square each are:

• Latch Cottage, Holloway
• St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School
• St Aldhelm’s Church
• Roundmead House, off St John’s Street
• 30 Roundmead, off St John’s Street
• 2 Parliament Row
• Memorial Gates at St Aldhelm’s Mead
• 79 High Street
• *Tangled Garden, King’s Walk
• Westgate Cottage, Gloucester Street
• 33a Burnivale
• West Lodge, Bristol Street
• United Reformed Church, St Mary’s Street

Three other significant places in the town may also be visited: St. Helen’s Chapel on Bristol Street; St. Mary’s Hall at The Triangle and Abbey House Manor. Volunteer archaeologists will be on hand at Abbey House Manor to help explain a previously excavated  profile and explain the development of the area around the Abbey and the wider landscape around Malmesbury.   

Cllr Kim Power who heads up the Athelstan 1100 Big Dig Team, said:

“This is going to be a fun event for all. We hope to see lots of visitors to the ‘Big Athelstan Dig’ weekend as uncovering the past is always thrilling! Visitors will be excited to see such a variety of sites, some of which are not usually open to the public. We are hoping for some interesting finds and we know that the ‘Big Athelstan Dig’ is going to inspire more people to become interested in the history of the place where they live. We could even find King Athelstan himself!

“We have been working in partnership with Cotswold Archaeology to organise this weekend. Some of their archaeologists are local to Malmesbury and are very enthusiastic. We have also had a huge number of volunteers come forward who want to experience digging a test pit or to clean and record finds, including young people and students from YAC and Malmesbury School.”

During the weekend there will be volunteers at most site excavating a test pit supervised by Cotswold Archaeology and there will be a ‘Finds Centre’ at Malmesbury Town Hall, where finds will be cleaned and recorded by more volunteers supervised by an expert from Cotswold Archaeology who will hopefully be able to identify the finds. All of which will be open to the public

Cotswold Archaeology are also bringing along some Anglo Saxon ‘handling finds’ from other sites, which visitors can see and hold.

One person hosting a dig on her property is Lisa Tweedie of West Lodge in Bristol Road.

She said: “I am looking forward to the dig and hoping we find some exciting evidence of  “The Light”, which was an old Temperance coaching inn here on the road between Malmesbury and Bristol.”

There will also be interesting activities for children including at St, Mary’s Hall, the 1st Malmesbury King Athelstan Scouting group are organising a seeded tray event for ‘play’ excavation and the Chippenham and District Metal Detecting Club, are also creating seeded trays for children to try their hand at metal detecting finds at Cuckingstool Mead. St. Joseph’s Catholic Primary School will be showcasing some Anglo Saxon related activities.

On Sunday, Time Team presenter and archaeologist Phil Harding will be visiting the dig sites and the Finds Centre at the Town Hall, talking to volunteers about their finds and their experiences over the weekend.

The Big Athelstan Dig is part of a wider programme of events to mark 1100 years since the accession of King Athelstan, later to become First King of all England. Athelstan had a close relationship with Malmesbury and chose to be buried in the Abbey – although the exact location of his burial remains a mystery.

Many Malmesbury organisations are working together to bring the Athelstan 1100 project to life across the summer. This includes Malmesbury Town Team, Malmesbury Town Council, Athelstan Museum and more than 80 other organisations and businesses who are giving time, practical support and resources to help celebrate the Anglo-Saxon heritage of the town and this important national anniversary. The first weekend saw a series of packed events including live performance at the Abbey, the unveiling of the Athelstan Stone and the opening of the Athelstan Pilgrim Way by historian and King Athelstan expert Tom Holland, also known as a co-presenter of the world’s most popular history podcast The Rest Is History. Malmesbury’s Big Athelstan Dig weekend opens with a talk by historian and broadcaster Michael Wood OBE, who is offering further reflections on ‘The Lost Life of Athelstan’.

King Athelstan ascended to the throne in 924 and 100 years ago in 1924 the whole of Malmesbury came out to celebrate King Athelstan’s 1000th anniversary. The community is doing the same in 2024

Chair of Malmesbury Town Team Campbell Ritchie heads up the team organising the project. He said:

“Digging back to the time of Athelstan and our Anglo-Saxon past is exciting but whatever may be discovered this weekend, we will be helping tell more of Malmesbury rich history. We would really like to thank all the property owners, volunteers, the National Heritage Lottery Fund, Cotswold Archaeology and local businesses and supporters for making Malmesbury’s Big Athelstan Dig possible.”

Trail maps of the dig sites are available from the Town Hall and at each location on the trail and can also be downloaded from the Athelstan 1100 website here https://www.athelstan1100.co.uk/events-ticketing/big-dig. A grant of more than £14,000 was donated to support the project by The National Heritage Lottery Fund.