Sorry I’ve been a bit lax in my original posting recently. It’s been a busy time and I added to my schedule a few sessions at an archaeological dig on the edge of Aylsham, the ‘Aylsham Roman Project’ next to a well known nursery, Woodgate.

Funded by the landowner and donations a professional archaeology Team from Britannia Archaeology supervised a huge army of volunteers in exposing two Roman pottery kilns and several other notable features, including iron age ditches and post holes. I spent time sieving spoil, washing finds and on my front prone over one of the kilns excavating around a mish mash of brick, tile and pottery clitter, often with a tiny trowel- the latter was the most rewarding activity, almost like an artistic act of creativity as I presented the solid features proud of their dirty surrounds. It turns out the kilns may be of national importance, as one of them still has its firing chamber intact , and the other appears to have had three walls built up around it as successive kilns collapsed.

After two weeks work a massive load of pottery and other finds have been amassed (nearly 15,000 by all accounts) and it’s planned to return here next year to continue the excavation…hopefully I’ll be around to take part (it was great fun), and may even extend my involvement to surveying and drawing.

Further information: Aylsham Roman Project Facebook page

Old School Gardener

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