Week Four, 23rd - 27th Sept 2013

This week I went to the Worcester Sixth Form College to meet the head of the Archaeology Dept. Dan Boatwright. He had contacted Headland a short time before my placement asking for help with enrichment opportunities and volunteering options for his students. We discussed the kinds of things he was hoping of achieving throughout the next year and also tried to iron out issues with the distance between us. I am to go back in the next few weeks to do a presentation for his students on what it is to be an archaeologist and to talk about ways in which his students can become involved in archaeology.

At the end of this week I had the opportunity to undertake some survey training with Simon Mayes who has a lot of experience in this field and conducts much of this type of work for the company. It is useful for me to keep up to date with these skills since the intention is that I will be using such techniques on community projects in the near future. We went to Rogerstone Castle (also known as Tribginlion or Tregwillym) in Newport Wales.

The site itself was heavily overgrown and had multiple phases of building work and landscaping. We faced many problems in surveying the topography of this site since GPS was not an option and the line of sight necessary for EDM survey was poor throughout. This is not to mention the fact that as a mot castle the steep terrain becomes a nightmare to move over when hindered by a carpet of brambles. Despite such issues we produced a good survey of results and I learnt many problem solving strategies that will be invaluable when undertaking work with volunteers.

 Simon and I completing a topographical and feature survey of Rogerstone Castle, Newport.

Week Three, 16th - 20th Sept 2013

I had a fantastic opportunity to sit in on a community project meeting this evening. It saw the inception of a community committee to run an archaeological project on Bartonsham (Row) Ditch which is to be funded both by English Heritage and the Lottery Heritage Fund. It was great to see how a community project develops from a spark of an idea into a working project and I feel lucky to have been a part of this, even if I was just spectating. It is useful for me to know how projects come about and how they develop as part of my placement and I will be keeping a keen eye on this since I am a resident of this community myself. I hope that my work with the nearby scouts can play some part in the future.

Week Two, 9th – 13th Sept 2013

Headland has a large evaluation project consisting of some c.200 trenches in Warwick at present. There are some interesting Iron Age and Medieval enclosures and boundaries showing up on the geophysical survey results. I spent this week on that excavation familiarizing myself with Headland excavation and recording systems which will be vital in any practical work I do in the future. It was a great opportunity to meet the field staff who aren't always in the office and I learnt allot of new strategies from Luke Craddock-Bennet and Marius Ignatius. Luke is also one of my supervisors for this placement and it was nice to get to know him better in the workplace and out of. He showed me how to work with the GPS systems used in stetting out trenches, recording features and topography which will help with the upcoming projects.

I also met Annie Partridge who has just completed her year on the CBA CATP with Canterbury Archaeological Trust and has returned to Headland as a field supervisor. She has given me a great insight into what might be in store for me this year and some sound advice. A very useful person to know  and it is worth checking out her blog for her time spent on this placement http://beadsboatsandflowerbeds.blogspot.co.uk/

On Tuesday evening after work I drove to Leominster to the regional Scouts, Cubs and Beavers meeting to propose ideas for the resestivity and topographical survey of Rowe Ditch in Bartonsham to the wider scouting community of Hertfordshire. With Chris Ruff (AKA Tosh), leader of the ‘1^st Hereford (YMCA) Scout Group’, as my introduction I presented the plans so far to around 50 leaders and discussed the possibility of side projects and related badges involving the different groups. My idea was to judge the initial interest and what type of work could be achieved. With resounding 100% ‘yes’ it would appear I now have my work cut out. I am already applying to be an ‘occasional helper’ with the ‘1^st Hereford (YMCA) Scout Group’ to cover any CRB considerations and ease future work with the children. You must always consider the safety of children with this type of work and it is best to get such checks over with early as they may take some time to come through. 

Week One, 2nd – 7th Sept 2013

The first few days were spent being inducted into the company and getting to grips with my position. I looked at the previous community work undertaken by Headland such as the Ewyas Harrold Castle and Priory Archaeological Surveys to name but one. It is useful to know just how much time and investment goes into such undertakings and the different kinds of correspondence needed to establish the necessary connections and ultimately the right outcomes for the community. Particularly an outcome where all the voices have been heard.

Wednesday saw me to an evening meeting with the local ‘1^st Hereford (YMCA) Scout Group’ based a few streets away from my house to discuss an opportunity to earn their heritage badge and the Community Challenge Award badge. The group had established connections with Headland through the company’s track record of providing archaeology workshops for children. This time, however, the scouts are eager to investigate the history of their community around Bartonsham. We discussed a range of ideas and thought about the resources we had to hand, but the possibility of both resistity and topographic survey on the supposed Civil War entrenchment, ‘Row/Rowe Ditch’ or ‘Bartonsham Ditch’ only a stones throw away from their headquarters seemed to tick all the boxes.

Although this listed monument features on current maps along a well used dog walk few people seem to know of its existence, it having been bulldozed by a farmer some 20 years ago. Headland has already done a small amount of work on this feature so it was well known to us; however, it would appear that there has been a recent revival in its interest following a proposal by English Heritage for a community project here. I am interested to see how both these projects might develop together, watch this space.

Local street atlas: Hereford © Philip’s 2008. Edited by myself.

The 1695 Row Ditch (labelled ‘earthwork’ on this map and highlighted by red hashers) can be seen to fortify the meander of the River Wye along the same orientation as Park Street.

On Friday I met with a representative from the Woolhope Club, David Whitehead (Hon. Secretary), along with Andy Boucher. ‘The Woolhope Naturalists’ Field Club’ is one of the oldest antiquarian societies in Britain dating back to 1851 and currently involving some c.600 members. Their wish is to encourage a younger membership and contribution to the club. We discussed the clubs history, membership and values in addition to my CBA placement and role within the Headland Company. In particular we focused on helping to develop further the clubs relationship with the Hereford Sixth Form College Archaeology Dept and the possibility of publishing their work within the clubs volumes. I am very much looking forward to establishing contact with the sixth form group as it was at this time in my life that I decided on a career in archaeology.

See the Woolhope Club website for more information on the club and about joining the society: http://www.woolhopeclub.org.uk/ 

In the afternoon I had a fantastic opportunity to publicize this placement with the unveiling of a new frame and display designed to transform one of Herefords lesser known monuments, a medieval tympanum incorporated into an alms house on St Owen St. It was unveiled by the Mayor of Hereford, Cllr Phill Edwards alongside Jennifer Davies, Chairman of Hereford Municipal Charities, and Andy Boucher from Headland Archaeology Ltd who produced the protective display. I acted as photographer which was an altogether new experience for me, and then proceeded to a small wine and food reception with a range of different town representatives and I had the pleasure of discussing my new role with said people. It was a great chance to publicize myself, the CBA placement, and the values of Headland in addition to being a pleasant and useful introduction to such events.

The display of the medieval tympanum unveiled by the Mayor of Hereford, Cllr Phill Edwards alongside Jennifer Davies, Chairman of Hereford municipal Charities, and Andy Boucher from Headland Archaeology Ltd. 

The display the medieval tympanum showing various members of the Hereford Council and Municipal Charities.

The following wine reception: pictured from left to right is the Mayor of Hereford, Cllr Phill Edwards, Paul Rogers, reporter for the Hereford Times; Jennifer Davies, Chairman of Hereford Municipal Charities; and myself.

Hello and Welcome

As I am sure you can imagine the first few weeks in any new job can be hectic and the last two have flown by. There has certainly been a lot to take in and this is why I am a bit slow to get this blog up and running.

I hope that this will help people to understand how community archaeology fairs in the commercial sector of archaeology and why it is important. I also hope that it is of use to people interested in developing community projects of there own as well as being a personal reflection of my time with Headland Archaeology Ltd and the work undertaken here over the next year.