WAHS ARCHAEOLOGY DIG
In the Abbey
Gardens, 12th - 20th
July 2008
Come and meet us in the
Abbey Gardens, from 10am to 3pm each day,
and watch us as we uncover
part of the medieval abbey’s remains, which still lie under the surface.
We will be looking at the monastic infirmary and
infirmary chapel (dedicated 1188), which once stood near where the Ancestor
statue is now. We last dug in this
area in 2003, when a workman installing picnic benches reported hitting large
lumps of stone. We investigated the matter, and soon uncovered remains of the
infirmary's foundations, helping to improve our understanding of its layout.
Uncovering the infirmary in February 2003
Further work has suggested that the chapel,
which is just to the south of the infirmary, could have had
a triple-apsed eastern end. We will be looking for evidence of this
in the ground, and also
seeking to understand how the chapel and infirmary were linked to each other.
Part of a WAHS survey of the abbey complex.
We will be working in the green area - note the incomplete building outlines
here, reflecting limited current knowledge.
We’ve timed this week-long dig to be part of
National
Archaeology Week, which is a
unique chance for everyone to discover and explore the
archaeological heritage of the country. The aim of
this annual event is to encourage everyone, and especially young people and
their families to go to sites of
archaeological/historical interest,
visit museums, and to see archaeology in
action.
Please don't be shy - we hope you
will ask us questions at the dig - and no question will be too silly, we
were all beginners once. Who knows - maybe you'll be answering such questions
one day.
There might not have been many people about,
but it was a bitterly cold February morning!
Only
six other places in Essex are hosting events as part of National Archaeology
Week, and WAHS is proud to be waving the flag in this corner of the county.
Some Links:
National
Archaeology Week
The Abbey Gardens
For More Information please
Contact WAHS
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