National Trust Archaeology

A view of an archaeological trench with a group of archaeologists in hi-viz clothing, located at the bottom of a stone and vegetated cliff with the historic castle at the top

Three people huddled around each other looking at some archaeological finds that are being held by a man wearing blue gloves

An aerial image of an archaeological trench surrounded by grass and some boulders, with a group of archaeologists working and wearing hi viz vests.

Tonight on Digging for Britain, a team from Durham University and the National Trust are at St Michael’s Mount, Cornwall.

They’re searching for evidence of Bronze Age tin processing and exploring the results of new scientific research into its export across Europe.

Tune in at 8pm on BBC Two!

A group of people in a room, sat around a large table

A group of people looking at black and white timber framed buildings at night

A group of people walking down a cobbled street at night, with historic brick buildings either side

A stone tower at night

We're delighted to spend a few days in each other's company on the Attingham Estate and around Shrewsbury for a CPD session.

Yesterday we refreshed ourselves on the use of Geographical Information Systems (GIS), which support how we care for our places, followed by a walking tour of Shrewsbury.

A group of archaeologists in a small trench with a possible stone pathway in the foreground. A camera operator is filming their work

A fragment of a 17th century bellarmine jug showing the full face of a bearded man cast into the pottery in a finds tray

A 17th century ‘jetton’, used as a gaming token, in the palm of a gloved hand

Join the team from the National Trust and York Archaeology on Digging for Britain tonight at 8pm on BBC Two to find out more about the investigations in Summer 2025 to find the house of Isaac Newton's mother, Hannah.

You can read more about the discoveries here: bit.ly/4k5VttB

A view of an archaeological trench with a group of archaeologists in hi-viz clothing, located at the bottom of a stone and vegetated cliff with the historic castle at the top

A group of archaeologists in a small trench with a possible stone pathway in the foreground. A camera operator is filming their work

There's a double helping of excavations at National Trust places on #DiggingforBritain this week!

Wednesday 4th: Woolsthorpe Manor, Lincolnshire
Thursday 5th: St Michael's Mount, Cornwall

You can watch the episodes at 8pm on BBC Two, or on BBC iPlayer: www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/epis...

We’re involved in a huge range of projects, from protecting important sites for future generations, as well as helping to shape nature recovery at our places, discovering new sites and bringing stories of people in the past to life.

You can find out more about what we do here: bit.ly/3NI39Gf

Archaeologists working at the Parterre at Wimpole Estate, Cambridgeshire | © National Trust Images/Mike Selby

We hope you’ve enjoyed our little review of projects and discoveries from 2025!

As archaeologists for the National Trust, we help care for nearly 100,000 sites of archaeological and historic interest across England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

A small metal disk on a tape measure for scale, labelled 'Pol Roger'. Pol Roger champagne was one of Sir Winston's favourite drinks and he is known to have regularly ordered cases from the early 1900s onwards. The metal disks we have found were placed on the necks of the champagne bottles.

Screenshot of the 3D model of the Study at Chartwell, showing the space lit with a hanging light fixture, the beams of the medival roof with a banner hanging from them, paintings on the walls, bookshelves and armchairs and desks

During November 2025, we shared some of our recent work at Chartwell. This included the creation of two 3D models by @artfletch.bsky.social & some very distinctive artefacts found by the Garden team - three metal disks, labelled 'Pol Roger &Co' found in a disused drain 🍾🥂
skfb.ly/pDXVw
#archaeology

Mosaic in the Dining Room at Chedworth Roman Villa depicting Bacchus and Ariadne © National Trust Images / Ian Shaw

🔍 New clues to Chedworth's lost 1860s archive!

Martin Papworth shares news on research being undertaken by Chedworth volunteer Jeanette, including the discovery of articles in newspapers and letters relating to the 1864-1868 excavations.

Read more about the archive here: bit.ly/4qNZd5u

A tray of archaeological finds, including some blue and white porcelain, and fragments of pottery and brick

This building certainly is a candidate for one of the original pine houses of “Henry the Magnificent”.

The results from the work will be used to inform the design and planting of the northern compartment and tell the story of the lost pineapple houses of Stourhead.

A second structure was recorded which corresponded with a glasshouse that was demolished around 1920.
The fabric and construction of this building appeared to be earlier than the larger greenhouse to the east and its layout corresponded with designs of 18th century pine houses in the literature.

A mortar floor surface in a trench, part of a structure that was built to grow pineapples

The room to the south had brick walls and a mortar floor and corresponded with the growing area for the greenhouse.
Investigation of the floor revealed a series of chambers and flues through which hot air had been circulated to heat the greenhouse.

A man kneeling down in a trench excavating a cast iron boiler feature

The northern half of was cellared and had a brick floor. The cellar had been infilled with bricks, and a cast iron boiler was found still in situ under the rubble.

The team excavated five trenches over a period of four weeks, and uncovered the remains of two buildings in the northern compartment of the garden. The largest was 19m long and 8m wide and divided into two distinct parts.

The pineapple was a symbol of high status, and vast sums were spent by the wealthy classes to grow this exotic fruit in the temperate climate of the British Isles. The pine houses at Stourhead are mentioned in numerous documents dating to the latter half of the 18th century.

A large walled garden was constructed in the 18th century, separated into a series of compartments south of the house. According to historic accounts one contained three structures dedicated to the growing of pineapples.

An archaeological trench in the walled garden at Stourhead

Last October, Stourhead HART volunteers, with the help of Steve Timms, SW archaeologist, undertook an investigation in the walled garden to locate the lost pine houses of “Henry the Magnificent”. 🧵

A woman in a light blue top and wearing sunglasses holding a fragment of a pottery jug

"This proved be a rich mixture of animal bones, oyster shells and broken pottery of all sorts, and to the archaeologist this sort of rubbish is the most valuable ‘treasure’, telling us so much about aristocratic feasts and the working lives of people who prepared them."

A group of archaeologists within and next to a trench on the lawn of Wimpole Hall

"Towards the end of the excavation, after digging down through a metre of heavy clay at last we struck the edge of the moat.
We were lucky that in this particular spot Tudor cooks had dumped rubbish from the kitchens."

"Through sunshine and thunderstorms the team dug deeper and deeper, at first locating the remains of the 17th century gardens and even some Roman features, but that earlier house still proved elusive, why couldn’t we find a massive moat?"

A group of archaeologists excavating features within a trench and removing soil with shovels on the lawn of Wimpole Hall

"The old house and moat appear on a 17th century map but, due to inaccuracies in the map, we couldn’t work out its location.
Our dig aimed to search for this house and moat and look for evidence of the gardens which went with the earliest phase of the current house around the time of Charles I."

"In fact they were looking for the site of the medieval manor house which was the forerunner to the current house. It seems odd that you could lose a house and its large moat, but the search for missing manor houses seems to be a bit of an obsession of National Trust archaeologists recently(!)."

Angus Wainwright, NT archaeologist covering Wimpole, said: "They arrived on the immaculate lawns in front of the stately house, and their mission appeared to be to make the biggest mess possible on the doorstep of this aristocratic pile!"

An aerial view of Wimpole Hall with archaeological trenches, spoil heaps and a small gazebo on the front lawn

We're continuing our look back at 2025 discoveries and fieldwork, with a revisit to the Wimpole Estate in Cambridgeshire, where last September an enthusiastic team of volunteers were led by archaeologists from @oxfordarchaeology.bsky.social. 🧵

An Evening With National Trust Archaeologists A fantastic opportunity to hear about the rich and diverse archaeological sites cared for by the National Trust and the varied work of the National Trust’s Archaeologists.

A great chance to hear directly from those uncovering, researching, and sharing archaeology across England and Wales.

3 March 2026 | 7 - 8.30pm | Free to attend

Book your spot 👉 shorturl.at/85Avq

This year's talks are:
🌿 Weir Garden Community Project - with Viviana Caroli
⛰️ Highdown Revisited: A Summer of Archaeology at Highdown Hill - with James Brown
⛏️ Dolaucothi Gold Mines - with David Thomas

Hosted by Neil Redfern (CBA) and Shannon Hogan (National Trust), the evening features three short talks from National Trust archaeologists, followed by a live Q&A session.

✨ An Evening with National Trust Archaeologists ✨

Ever wondered what archaeology looks like behind the scenes at National Trust places?

Join the CBA for a free online evening exploring the archaeology cared for by National Trust, including community digs, hilltop enclosures and Roman gold mining.

An archaeologist surveying using a dumpy level

An archaeologist bringing a wheelbarrow down a ramp after emptying soil onto the spoil heap.

An archaeologist in a trench holding a trowel and smiling. The boots of another archaeologist digging behind them are visible in the picture

Two archaeologists in a trench under a canopy for shade. They are both holding mattocks for digging and are smiling happily

A look back on the dig at #Bodiam during August 2025: our team of over 140 volunteers found evidence for #Roman & #medieval activity across the landscape. Our final season of excavations at the site is this summer - watch this space!
#Bodiam100 @nationaltrust.org.uk 🏺
📷Alfie Lindsay & Jane Sidell

🏠 The search for Isaac Newton’s mother’s house at Woolsthorpe Manor in Lincolnshire – which is featured in the latest series of #DiggingforBritain on BBC Two.

🪏 Excavations at Prior Park in Bath by NT Heritage and Archaeology Ranger Team (HART) volunteers and the Bath and Counties Archaeological Society. They aimed to uncover more of Ralph Allen’s early garden and the Bason pool.