About 12 to 15 test pits will be dug, mostly in gardens, on Wednesday 5th and Thursday 6th June. For further details of the project, see the article: The Daws Heath Dig June 2013.
St Michael’s church halls will be used as the excavation base camp by the students already selected from Southend schools.
Also, as it will not be appropriate for the public to assist the students with their pits, the Hadleigh based archaeology group, Ages AHA, has been invited to dig one or two pits in St Michael’s field so local residents can see exactly what is involved and, if they wish, pay a reduced membership to the Ages club to entitle them to join in with the digging, finds processing or excavation. (Please address any queries in this respect initially to Terry Barclay by telephoning 01702 558936 or via the Archive Group’s e-mail address: hadleighhistory@gmail.com ).
Intended participants will receive very basic training in the hall from Cambridge University at about 9am on the Wednesday morning and can expect to dig until about 2.30pm each day before then completing the finds processing, essential drawings and other records by about 4pm.
(No children from 11 to 16 will be expected to be involved in the Ages dig as they would have to be accompanied by an adult and this will take place during school term time. This year’s dig will not be suitable for younger children).
Display in St Michael’s Community Room
The Archive team intends to set up a small display with local histories and pictures in St Michael’s Community Room so that, each morning, it can be seen by visitors. It is also hoped that it will be possible on Thursday 6th June to allow viewing in the Community Room of some of the previous day’s finds from the test pits. (Refreshments will be available between 10am and 12 noon).
If you have any local Daws Heath history stories of your own or have early photos, estate plans or other documents, please drop in to St Michael’s on 5th or 6th June and chat with members of the Archive who will be able to advise you better on how to get your stories on line for others to see.
So, come along to St Michael’s to see community archaeology in action, to perhaps hear and exchange a little more information about the story of Daws Heath.
Terry Barclay {Local Hadleigh & Thundersley Archive Co-ordinator for Access Cambridge Archaeology Higher Education Field Academy}
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