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  Ruardean Castle, in the Forest of Dean, is a nationally important site. Despite this, relatively little is known about it – when was it first built and occupied until? Did it start life as a motte and bailey castle or ringwork (defensive site protected by a ditch and bank), and when was it converted...

  All analysis of the Cathedral Square excavation is now finished and a report has been produced. As the report is very long and technical, we thought we’d summarise our results here too. The Dig Lich Street blog is also still available. In 2015, an archaeological dig took place prior to the Cathedral Square redevelopment....

  As earth’s deep history and the evolution of species began to be debated and slowly accepted, researchers within Worcestershire started to investigate the particular history and geology of this region. Some of the first to do so were Hugh and Catherine Strickland. During the mid-19th century, they discovered the remains of ancient animals, including...

Looking at starting or restarting your family history? In autumn we often get people coming to us asking how to begin tracing their family tree. For some they are looking at starting or restarting now that summer is over, whilst others may have been inspired by conversations, or even as a result of watching the latest...

The case of ‘Who Put Bella in the Wych Elm?’ is one that continues to intrigue people 75 years after the remains of a body were discovered by some boys in Hagley Woods. The story has many aspects which ensure it catches the imagination – an unnamed body, a mutilated corpse, possible witchcraft, WWII espionage...

Last month we took the lantern slides taken by Arthur Henry Whinfield out to two venues to recreate the presentations he used to provide to local people in Worcester over 100 years ago. We’ve shared before on our blog about the project to conserve and digitise  @ 2,000 glass slides taken and collected by the...

Our archives contain over 12 miles of shelving with thousands of boxes. These boxes contain all sorts of stories, and can be the inspiration for all sorts of creative writing. Various films, TV dramas, books and plays have used archives and the stories they contain as their basis, and we are keen to encourage people...

Another four test pits were recently excavated in the small Worcestershire village of White Ladies Aston, as part of the HLF funded Small Pits, Big Ideas project we’re running on behalf of Worcestershire Archaeological Society. So, what did we find this time? As with those dug last autumn, all test pits were excavated by Looked...

  What’s been happening since the Soudley Camp excavation took place in October? The Foresters’ Forest Project is a five year Heritage Lottery Fund programme exploring and protecting the Forest of Dean’s heritage, but what does it actually involve? Since October we have been working with local volunteers to begin the huge task of recording...

  Worcestershire Archive and Archaeology Service (WAAS), in partnership with Worcester Diocesan Church House Trust (WDCHT) has been successful in its bid for £39,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) to conserve, catalogue and share the Arthur Henry Whinfield Lantern Slide Collection. The remarkable photographic collection of this Worcestershire resident was donated by his widow,...