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Community dig and festival returns to Roman town

Katy Prickett
News imageNorth Northamptonshire Council A figure in a beige shirt and olive hat shovels earth out of a hole while two men in navy T-shirts crouch close by looking on.North Northamptonshire Council
The Chester House Estate hosts a long-running community dig, based at the remains of a Roman town

Archaeologists are to return to a long-running community dig at one of Britain's best-preserved Roman towns.

The Irchester Field School is based at Chester House Estate near Irchester, Northamptonshire, and its finds have featured on BBC Two's Digging for Britain.

Students and staff from the University of Leicester will work alongside volunteers and estate staff, as well as hosting more than 1,200 schoolchildren.

Prof Sarah Scott said it was inspiring to see "different generations learning new skills... and sharing in the excitement of discovery".

News imageUniversity of Leicester A woman's hands are holding up a Roman pot with a hole in its side over a bowl of muddy waterUniversity of Leicester
Some of the pots found at Irchester in 2024 had holes in them, which experts believe means they were used as money boxes or for religious offerings

Previous finds have included six complete Roman pots, which were made in France.

This year's dig, which begins on Monday and runs until 3 July, will focus on the western part of the walled town, close to a probable entrance.

It will be the first major community excavation to be carried out within this area of Irchester since the 1870s.

The excavation is part of a long-term collaboration between the university and North Northamptonshire Council, which owns Chester House Estate.

The field school will host group tours, a public open day and Roman Fest, a weekend of events which will bring the past to life through re-enactments, living history and demonstrations.

News imageUniversity of Leicester Three women and one man surrounded by mud and holes at an excavation at Irchester. There is a wheelbarrow between them, and various buckets resting on the earth. Beyond them are green fields and trees.University of Leicester
Students, volunteers, staff and visitors will get the chance to learn new skills as part of the excavation, say organisers

Scott said: "The Irchester Field School is a powerful example of how partnership working can create a wealth of exciting opportunities for people of all ages to take part in archaeological research, develop new skills, and connect with the archaeology and history of this nationally significant Roman site."

The partnership received the MJ Award for Innovation in Public Private Partnerships last year, an award that recognises the efforts of local government to support local communities.

Greg Wallace, the council's executive member for communities, said: "The history of the Chester House Estate is fascinating and this long-term collaborative project between our team and the University of Leicester continues to go from strength to strength."

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