Latest news with #IrchesterFieldSchool
BBC News
26-06-2025
- General
- BBC News
Irchester Field School initiative wins national award
A heritage site's hands-on archaeological initiative has won a national Northamptonshire Council's partnership with the Irchester Field School, based at the Chester House Estate near Wellingborough, was recognised at the MJ Awards which celebrate success in local field school, which is also supported by the University of Leicester, provides students and volunteers with the opportunity to excavate Iron Age and Roman settlements at Chester House believed to date back more than 10,000 Griffiths, leader of the Reform UK-controlled council, said the award was a "significant achievement". The site previously appeared on BBC Two's Digging for Britain, with presenter Prof Alice Roberts exploring the Roman MJ Awards described the field school initiative as being "a powerful example of place-based engagement, a project that connects communities with history and archaeology – improving wellbeing, education, and public health". Excavations at the field school have revealed houses, workshops and cemeteries - with hundreds of human and animal skeletons and other artefacts Scott, professor of archaeology at the University of Leicester, said the site "would have been a really bustling small town in the Roman period".She said: "We have buildings, workshops, some houses... so many things are really interesting and tell us how people lived. It's really exciting to see the wealth of evidence that we have." The scheme is running again in 2025, with about 1,500 students Jeremy Taylor, lecturer in archaeology at the University of Leicester, said: "From the start we wanted to open up the excavations on the project to everybody."We've got a big programme where we're working with all the schools in the local area to encourage them to come out to understand archaeology in action, and to get involved with looking for and processing the artefacts we find, and how to be an archaeologist." Follow Northamptonshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
Yahoo
27-01-2025
- Yahoo
Interest in archaeology site peaks after TV cameo
A heritage site has received an increased number of inquiries after it featured on mainstream television. The Chester House Estate in Irchester, Northamptonshire, appeared on BBC Two's Digging for Britain earlier this month, with presenter Prof Alice Roberts exploring the Roman site. Since the broadcast, the estate has seen a surge in interest, particularly in people wanting to join its Irchester Field School programme. Jason Smithers, Conservative leader of North Northamptonshire Council, said: "It was great to see north Northamptonshire on the national stage and the Chester House Estate receiving the attention it rightly deserves." The programme showcased rare finds from last summer's excavation and featured interviews with archaeologists and volunteers. After the show aired, the estate said available spaces on the Irchester Field School programme - a hands-on archaeological initiative - were quickly filling up. Students enrolled in the programme will explore the study of human bones to understand health, diet, and lifestyle in Roman times, examine skeletons and take part in excavation tours, watching archaeologists at work and learning about their techniques. Helen Howell, deputy leader of the local authority, added: "Even before the Digging for Britain episode aired, our field school programme had already booked over half of the available spaces. "Now being featured on one of the country's most loved archaeological programmes, inquiries from schools are booming." Just weeks before the BBC episode aired, the Irchester Field School programme won the Learning, Training and Skills award at the national Archaeological Achievement Awards. The field school is due to run from 16 June to 4 July, with more than 2,000 students participating last year. Follow Northamptonshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X. High school prepares to host BBC Question Time Charity's 'tropical tunnel' to appear on BBC show Digging for Britain
Yahoo
27-01-2025
- Yahoo
Interest in archaeology site peaks after TV cameo
A heritage site has received an increased number of inquiries after it featured on mainstream television. The Chester House Estate in Irchester, Northamptonshire, appeared on BBC Two's Digging for Britain earlier this month, with presenter Prof Alice Roberts exploring the Roman site. Since the broadcast, the estate has seen a surge in interest, particularly in people wanting to join its Irchester Field School programme. Jason Smithers, Conservative leader of North Northamptonshire Council, said: "It was great to see north Northamptonshire on the national stage and the Chester House Estate receiving the attention it rightly deserves." The programme showcased rare finds from last summer's excavation and featured interviews with archaeologists and volunteers. After the show aired, the estate said available spaces on the Irchester Field School programme - a hands-on archaeological initiative - were quickly filling up. Students enrolled in the programme will explore the study of human bones to understand health, diet, and lifestyle in Roman times, examine skeletons and take part in excavation tours, watching archaeologists at work and learning about their techniques. Helen Howell, deputy leader of the local authority, added: "Even before the Digging for Britain episode aired, our field school programme had already booked over half of the available spaces. "Now being featured on one of the country's most loved archaeological programmes, inquiries from schools are booming." Just weeks before the BBC episode aired, the Irchester Field School programme won the Learning, Training and Skills award at the national Archaeological Achievement Awards. The field school is due to run from 16 June to 4 July, with more than 2,000 students participating last year. Follow Northamptonshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X. High school prepares to host BBC Question Time Charity's 'tropical tunnel' to appear on BBC show Digging for Britain
