Dig Diary 2006

Week 1 - 20th June to 25th June

(while reading the diary - hold your mouse over the pictures, to read more about each image)

The second season of excavation began with re-opening and expanding two of the 2005 trenches, and opening two new trenches east of The Commandery. The team of volunteers started on site on Tuesday 20th June.

There are new questions that we want answers to this year. An archaeological evaluation inside The Commandery in 2004 recorded two burials cut through floors. Were these burials inside the hospital chapel, dedicated to St Gudwal? Trench 7 was opened near the burials with the aim of discovering whether the chapel extends east into the garden area. There are difficult questions to contemplate for Hal and Darren.

The team uncovered a massive stone wall in Trench 7, built of sandstone blocks, with a core of rubble. This is part of a medieval stone building, but we do not yet know for sure whether this is the chapel. This certainly looks promising!

This year we have re-opened Trench 1. The stone walls are the base for a timber-framed building, dated to the 16th century or earlier. In this trench we are investigating a long sequence of builigings and associated yard surfaces.

North of the Great Hall of the Commandery (built 1475-1500) we have expanded last year’s Trench 2. In this trench there are more sandstone foundations, some of which are probably parts of medieval buildings (foreground). The team have exposed an 18th century cobbled yard (background).

The small professional team from WHEAS are teaching a large number of volunteers how to excavate. In Week 1 there is a lot to learn and plenty of enthusiasm.

Go to the 2005 diary