Search Results

A building survey of a fairly ordinary 19th century brick stable block in the west of Worcestershire uncovered a peculiar set of objects. Nailed above the lintel to the entrance way was a pair of mammalian skeletal feet above an iron horseshoe. Plate 1 Horseshoe and paws nailed above a stable doorway (©WCC 2015) A...

Charred oat grains If you were to imagine the medieval farming landscape along the western borders of England and Wales, you would probably not think of fields of oats. Wheat is more likely to spring to mind, and probably sheep too. However, recently Worcestershire Archaeology has excavated an archaeological site at Mytton Oak on the...

This week’s Treasures, brought to you by Archaeologist Rob Hedge, were uncovered during a recent community excavation called ‘DigMinster’. The series of finds uncovered during the course of this project provide an insight into a largely forgotten chapter of Kidderminster’s industrial heritage: Last year, our archaeologists led a month-long community excavation at St Mary’s Church...

Back to the Forest – Excavating a WWII site For the past 5 years we have been working in the Forest of Dean as part of the Foresters’ Forest Project. There are numerous strands to this Heritage Lottery funded landscape project, raising awareness and participation in the built, natural and cultural heritage that makes the...

The Archaeology Service work on through Introduction During these times of social distancing restrictions since late March 2020, what has happened to our Archaeology Services?  Are they still in the field?  What are they doing?  If they are working, what have we done to make sure they are safe? You can read how some of...

There are lots of bank holidays this month. But what does that mean? Bank holidays were first introduced in 1871 by banker and liberal politician for Maidstone, Sir John Lubbock. Thinking about bank holidays led us to look at our range of resources for researching local banks and the people who ran and worked in...

The remarkable journals of two sisters offer a glimpse into Regency life and throw light on their place in the Sandys story. Ladies Charlotte and Mary Hill were the daughters of Mary Sandys, heiress of Ombersley Court in Worcestershire, and her husband Arthur Hill. Born in 1794 and 1796, the sisters were the third and...

What historic and modern Coroner’s records do we hold? Worcestershire Archives, as parent body and approved Place of Deposit on behalf of WCC holds historic and modern Coroners’ records from the 19th – 21st century. These include records known as ‘Coroners’ Cravings’ which record Inquests in the late 19th century, through to Coroner’s Daily Record,...

Since 1194 Coroners have existed to investigate unnatural, sudden or suspicious deaths, and of deaths in prisons. The function of Coroners, their status and relationship to the state has changed over time and this has affected the type and survivability of records which exist today. For instance, you are more likely to find a newspaper...

Welcome back to the Broadway Dig Diaries! In celebration of Women’s History Month, we’re excited to highlight the life and work of the archaeologist Catherine Nancy Sherwood Smith who led the first works on the area adjacent to our site at Broadway. Though we know a little bit about her work on the site, much...