Milestone Ground, Broadway- Dig Diaries 1
- 13th February 2025
Welcome to Dig Diaries
We’re excited to share the beginning of our excavation with you. In this first post, we’ll take you back to what was known about the site before we began digging in the summer of 2024, as well as our discoveries from the first few months on site.
The Story Behind the Site
Our story begins in the 1930s, when gravel quarrying took place in Broadway, between Childswickham Road and Station Road (now home to football pitches). During these excavations, workers uncovered some pretty incredible prehistoric and Roman remains, including Roman burials and very large ditches. Archaeologists quickly realised they had stumbled upon remnants of ancient settlements!
As time passed, aerial photos revealed cropmarks of enclosure ditches and pits spreading far beyond the quarry. These marks, visible during dry weather, covered an impressive 2.3 hectares (that’s almost four football pitches!).
Fast forward to 2005, when the Worcestershire Young Archaeologists’ Club and community groups conducted a field survey in the area. They uncovered prehistoric flints dating back to the later Mesolithic period (about 5500 to 8500 years ago), hinting that this site may have been a seasonal stopping point for hunter-gatherers travelling through the region.
Then, in 2014, a more detailed archaeological survey confirmed Iron Age and Roman activity on the site. Evidence suggests this area has been home to humans for a long time. But, as you’ll see, there’s still much more to learn.
Selection of Roman pottery found during the 1930s
Why Are We Excavating Now?
We already know that the site has Iron Age and Roman remains, but there are still many unanswered questions. We also suspect earlier prehistoric activity took place here, along with features from the early medieval period. The only way to uncover these stories is through a full-scale excavation.
The site has been allocated in South Worcestershire Development Plan for a mixed development, including housing and sports facilities. However, archaeological features are often located just beneath the surface, sometimes only 30-50 cm down. If it isn’t excavated before building work start, these precious remnants of the past could be lost forever. Wychavon District Council has commissioned Worcestershire Archaeology to carry out the archaeological investigations as part of the planning process.
This excavation is crucial not just for preserving a record of this archaeology, but also for giving us a chance to explore Broadway’s history from the last 8000 years – who lived here? What was their world like? How did the landscape change?
So, what are we finding so far…
When we began digging, it was clear this site had a much higher volume of archaeology than anyone could have expected. The site plan below shows a few of our early observations.
One of the first areas we uncovered contained 57 perfectly circular pits. Most were empty, but a few contained pottery dating from the late Bronze Age to early Iron Age – about 3000 years ago. These pits were arranged in a neat line and their original purpose is unknown. Could they have marked a route or boundary? Archaeologists currently don’t really understand pit alignments and why they were originally dug. Generally, they are believed to be from the Iron Age however the late Bronze Age pottery could suggest this one is slightly earlier.
Another discovery was a large D-shaped enclosure, which contained over 90 graves. It seems to be a Roman cemetery, but we’ll dive deeper into this surprising discovery in a future blog post so stay tuned.
Spectacular Finds
Our team of professional archaeologists has uncovered some truly amazing artefacts. From nearly complete pottery vessels to a mysterious goddess fitting, there’s no shortage of incredible discoveries. Check out the gallery below to see some of the team’s favourite finds so far! (Hover over each image for more information.)
Keep an eye out across our social media channels as we will be sharing more over the next few months.
The excavation is being carried out by Worcestershire Archaeology on behalf of Wychavon District Council. The archaeological work is expected to continue until Spring 2025 and only when this work has finished, and the developer has obtained planning permission, will the land be sold for a mixed housing and sports development. The developer will share details of how the local community can comment on the plans before they submit the planning application.
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