Excavation uncovers evidence of Iron Age fort

From the Wiltshire Times & Chippenham News:

An excavation to uncover evidence of the Iron Age in Bradford on Avon has been hailed a success after the edge of a hill fort was found along with medieval pottery.

The three-week dig got underway on July 20 in the garden of Peter and Jane Mann, of Budbury Place, who live in a house thought to be the former Budbury Manor, dating back to the 16th century.

Led by former Wiltshire archaeologist Roy Canham, 66, and coinciding with an Iron Age exhibition at the town’s museum, the dig has uncovered more evidence of the fort in the Budbury area, which first came to light in the 1960s.

Mr Canham and his team had to dig through a stone floor, which the Manns first discovered buried in their garden in the spring, while planting trees.

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Kids experience life in the Iron Age at town museum

From the Wiltshire Times:

An Iron Age expert thrilled children who visited Bradford on Avon Museum on Saturday after bringing along an array of animal skins and weapons, including shields, swords and daggers.

Matt Russell, from Portsmouth, helped the museum launch its Iron Age exhibition, which is due to run until August 2, with an interactive open day attended by about 170 people.

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Secrets of 'unlucky' Bradford hill fort under the microscope

From the Wiltshire Times:

Described by one archaeologist as the unluckiest hill fort in Wiltshire, the Iron Age past of Budbury in Bradford on Avon remains to this day shrouded in mystery.

Local historians have been trying to unlock Budbury’s secrets ever since eminent archaeologist GJ Wainwright uncovered evidence of a substantial hill fort in the area, which is now developed into housing, dating back to as early as 600BC.

Wainwright believed he was on the verge of uncovering a burial mound, so the discovery of the hill fort, thought to cover up to six acres of land, came as a complete surprise.

From Monday, Bradford on Avon Museum will host a three-week long exhibition charting the history of Budbury, which will include 16,000 pieces of Iron Age pottery, as well as needles made out of bone and bronze fingerings, discovered during Wainwright’s excavation on loan from the Wiltshire Heritage Museum in Devizes.

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Go back to the Iron Age at museum

From This is bath.co.uk:

An Iron Age expert will be bringing history to life with a day of activities in Bradford on Avon this weekend.

Historian Matt Russell will be offering people the chance to have their own Iron Age tattoo as well as building shields, spear tips and pouches.

Iron Age weapons, metal and clothing will also be on display at the free event, which runs from 10am to 4pm on Saturday. It is the first in a month of activities and exhibitions at the Bradford on Avon Museum.

Ancient artefacts including 16,000 pieces of Iron Age pottery discovered during an excavation of Budbury, near Bradford, in 1969 will be available to view in the museum's library meeting room from Monday, July 13 to Sunday, August 2.

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