The conference includes Kurt Hunter-Mann speaking about archaeology in Ravenglass and Muncaster Castle! As Zoom will be available, you can watch the conference in the comfort of your own home.
Digging for Ravenglass
Archaeological adventures in Ravenglass, Cumbria
Thursday 3 March 2022
Thursday 7 October 2021
Lake District Archaeology Conference 2021
Romans in Ravenglass and Muncaster Castle has some representation at the conference ...
The conference will be held on-line on Saturday 13 November. Tickets are free but please book a place on the link below.
Programme
10.00 Introduction Tiffany Hunt MBE, Member and Chair of Historic Environment Sub Group, Lake District National Park Authority
10.05 Archaeology in the Lake District National Park 2019-21 Eleanor Kingston, Lake District National Park Authority
10.30 Questions and Discussion
10.35 Archaeology in the time of a pandemic – an update on recent work by the National Trust Jamie Lund, National Trust
11.05 Questions and Discussion
11:15 Coffee/Tea Break
11.30 A new survey of the Carles stone circle, Castlerigg Al Oswald, University of York
11.50 Questions and Discussion
11.55 Recent fieldwork at Ravenglass and Muncaster Castle Kurt Hunter-Mann, Romans in Ravenglass
12.25 Questions and Discussion
12.30 An Aerial Perspective of the High Street David Knight, Historic England
12.50 Questions and Discussion
1.00 Lunch
1.45 ‘Weird and atypical, even degenerate’…or then again, maybe not? Early Neolithic enclosures in the North Al Oswald, University of York
2.30 Questions and Discussion
2.40 Coffee/Tea Break
3.00 The origins of Dacre: What should an early medieval monastery look like? Rachel Newman, Oxford Archaeology North
3:50 Questions and Discussion
4.00 Finish
If you would like to book tickets go to Archaeology Conference Booking PageFriday 24 September 2021
Day 4
The final digging day at Muncaster Castle, how time has flown! In Trench 1, several cobble surfaces and possible structural features suggest that there had been considerable activity for much of the medieval period. Finds include some unusual pottery and the key for a barrel padlock.
Anita and the key to the barrel lock
In Trench 2, investigation of the oven concluded. The stone layer in Trench 3 proved to fill a cut, probably a field drain. It seems likely that the oven and drain represent management of the estate during the last two hundred years or so.
Brian investigates Trench 3
A summary of the excavtions will follow shortly
Thursday 23 September 2021
Day 3
The Lake District weather is being kind so far, so we made progress while the going was good. In Trench 1, another cobble surface was found beneath the first layer, producing more medieval pottery
Jane found a sherd of green glazed, decorated medieval pottery
In Trench 2, the oven was cleaned up. Alan was able to confirm that this was the feature found previously, as he had a photograph of it!
Wednesday 22 September 2021
Day 2 Tuesday 2021
In Trench 2, it is increasingly clear that the old trench has been relocated and traces of the hearth are visible, but what is it? At Trench 2, it was planned to extend the trench in order to understand the oven better. However, this proved impossible due to the dense vegetation, so it was decided to open up an adjacent trench (Trench 3). This immediately produced a large whetstone.
Jane with the large whetstone
Tuesday 21 September 2021
Muncaster Castle Day 1, 2021
What a fine day at the castle! We soon got to work and great progress was made. In Trench 1, garden features were found below the topsoil.
Sunday 19 September 2021
The archaeologists are back for 2021!
So here we are at Muncaster Castle, ready for another week of archaeological investigation. The 'Romans in Ravenglass' team are not expecting to find any Romans here, but we do hope to look for evidence of the hall attached to the 14th century tower and perhaps evidence of activity pre-dating the tower.
Let's see what happens tomorrow!