The Lower Hazel Dig – the story so far

We’re delighted to be showcasing the work of museum archaeological volunteers and others in our brand new exhibition for 2025.

The Lower Hazel site was thought to be worth investigating back in 2010.  Neither the the site’s owner nor the museum’s late, beloved trustee Roger Howell, a retired professional archaeologist who had carried out excavations at Knossos on Crete, thought that the 1880 Ordinance Survey map was correct when it labelled the Lower Hazel site ‘Chapel (Site of)’.

Many years of patient and persistent work followed, led by Roger.  In due course, the University of Bristol was keen to be involved and sent its students there for their summer placements.  Alice Roberts came visiting too and the dig featured in January 2023 in one of her ‘Digging for Britain’ programmes.

If you want to find out what they’ve discovered so far and what they think was going on in this little woodland spot, come along and check out this new exhibition, put together by Aaron Girdlestone.

Aaron is now one of our trustees but originally joined the dig as a young volunteer, then went off to the University of Cardiff and obtained a first-class archaeology degree and now is studying for a Master’s – while still maintaining a heavy involvement in the site.  His enthusiasm is infectious!