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Central Winchester Regeneration

Community Excavation in Winchester

By Central Winchester Regeneration, News No Comments

Over the summer, PCA has been working alongside the local community at Friarsgate Park in Winchester, the newly-opened green space next to the bus station. The dig concluded with a successful Family Archaeology Event, where around 100 people joined in the fun.

Attendees, particularly young people, had the opportunity to engage directly with history by discovering, washing, and drawing finds unearthed during the excavation. The event also included creative activities like pottery painting and tile design, inspired by the artefacts found on site. These types of events not only raise awareness about local heritage but also help foster an appreciation for archaeology.

This event marked the culmination of a six-week dig, which saw more than 120 community volunteers help uncover Winchester’s hidden history. Friarsgate Park, now fully developed, offers a welcoming space complete with seating, wildflower landscaping, and improved views of the River Itchen. It forms part of Central Winchester Regeneration, a broader effort to breathe new life into under-utilised areas while longer-term plans for the site are still being developed.

While some had called for a full-scale archaeological excavation akin to the one conducted before the construction of the Brooks Centre in the late 1980s, the city council decided on a more targeted approach. This strategy focused on key areas of interest, including the corner of Friarsgate and the bus station entrance, balancing the need for archaeological investigation with time and cost considerations.

The event was covered by the Hampshire Chronicle (click to read the article)

Family Fun Archaeology Day

By Central Winchester Regeneration, News, Outreach No Comments

Join us for a Family Fun Day at Winchester’s Friarsgate Park on 29 August 10am – 2pm. This event offers a range of activities for all ages, inviting families to uncover Winchester’s hidden history and enjoy the newly created outdoor space. Get hands-on with washing archaeological finds, handle real artefacts, and test your skills with challenges based on previous digs.

Meet the archaeologists, take guided tours of the community excavation, and participate in pottery workshops with Design Junction. Don’t miss the chance to create pottery drawings and take them home. The event is free to attend, so just turn up on the day at Friarsgate Park, on the site of the former medical centre behind the bus station (what3words: craft.districts.groom).

Event Details:

  • Date: 29 August 2024
  • Time: 10am – 2pm
  • Location: Friarsgate Park (former Friarsgate Medical Centre, behind the bus station; what3words: craft.districts.groom)
  • Cost: Free! No need to pre-book.

CWR Volunteering in 2024

By Central Winchester Regeneration, News, Outreach No Comments

We’re extending the opportunity for volunteers to participate in the processing of finds from our ongoing excavations at the Central Winchester Regeneration site into the New Year.

From 10th January until 22nd February, on Wednesdays and Thursdays, volunteers will be welcome at PCA’s Winchester office to wash the artefacts; we still have plenty coming out of the ground!

Once booking has been made, you will receive an email to the address used in the booking, which will include detailed instructions on location, timings, etc.  

BOOK YOUR PLACE HERE

We’ve had a lot of lovely feedback from those who’ve attended so far, most recently from Tina who sent this photo and said:

Just wanted to say thank you for an enjoyable and educational couple of days finds processing.

I cleaned a lovely piece of Samian ware which seems remarkably similar to a piece in the Winchester City museum which I went round before going home.

CWR Portable Medieval Whetstone

By Central Winchester Regeneration, News, Recent Finds No Comments

For #FindsFriday, a well-worn whetstone, or honestone, from our Central Winchester Regeneration site. Dating back to the medieval period, this whetstone would have been used to quickly sharpen knives for cooking and crafting. The addition of a hole allowed the stone to be easily attached to clothing, ensuring portability and quick access. This artefact was unearthed from material behind the revetment of a medieval ‘brook’ in Trench 2.

Central Winchester Regeneration Site Open Day

By Central Winchester Regeneration, News No Comments

Save the date! ?
Our next CWR site open day is on 11th November, from 10am-1pm. Guided tours will run every 15 minutes from the PCA gazebo in Abbey Gardens, where there will be a display of the artefacts recovered so far.

The floor surfaces pictured here, 2m below ground level, are associated with large wooden piles driven into the river silts, that may have supported walls. Is this a Roman building or perhaps a Saxon building? With its rudimentary flooring, what was this building and what was it used for?

CWR Archaeology Update

By Central Winchester Regeneration, News No Comments

In Trench 1, beneath two phases of medieval buildings which once stood along Lower Brook Street, excavation was terminated at 2m below ground where we encountered the water table. The deepest deposit in this trench was a black, organically rich layer containing medieval finds. We’ve taken both bulk and column samples from this layer, expecting to uncover a range of organic remains. What lies beneath this deposit? Could it be a long-forgotten river channel, an ancient ‘Brook’?

Meanwhile, in Trench 3, we have floor surfaces at 2m below ground level! These are cut by pits containing medieval finds, including pottery that could potentially be late Saxon. The surfaces are also associated with substantial wooden piles driven into the river silts, that may have supported walls. So are we looking at a Roman building or perhaps a Saxon building? With its rudimentary flooring, what was this building and what was it used for? We’ll keep you posted!

CWR Archaeology Update

By Central Winchester Regeneration, News No Comments

We’re back in action at Trench 1 and on a mission to extend the area, so we can safely excavate to a depth of 2m to reach the horizon of Roman archaeology. As the picture shows, the weather has decided to play tricks on us, and the team are working hard in very challenging conditions.

At the bottom of the picture is the continuation of a medieval wall, with evidence of some masonry being stolen. We suspect they used it in the construction of other buildings nearby, like a good old-fashioned medieval recycling programme!

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