Given the storms that were swirling round the UK we were very lucky with the weather as we only lost one day. Site preparation was particularly exciting this year as the storage container was craned in over the trees.

50 members (over a 1/3 of our membership) contributed 220 days of hard effort; feedback indicates that everyone enjoyed themselves. Our especial thanks go to those who volunteered for the close down day. This included the relaying of the turf; an essential process if we are to get permission to return.

We opened three trenches:

Trench 1. 4m x 8m - located in the vicinity of the rectangular building. Based on the geophys and the results from a previous excavation it was believed that there were at least 2 ditches in the area. Results proved somewhat disappointing but we await the dating evidence that will be provided by the pottery assessment.

Trench 2. 4m x 8m placed on the western side of the rectangular building and including some of the dark mass to the west shown on survey results. This revealed that there was a separation between the rectangular building and a further building to the west. As is always the case it was during the final Friday and Saturday that things got really exciting. A significant stone build wall was revealed along with a hypocaust floor that overlaid earlier building material. I had thought that the volumes of Ceramic Building Material (CBM) and stone would not exceed last year’s but they did with the CBM weighing in at 485Kg an increase of 38%. The painted wall plaster was particularly interesting.

Trench 3. 2m x 10m – located over what was being considered as a target for next year. Disappointingly for those involved all that was revealed with some natural beach deposit. However, it has resolved the question of whether to dig in that location at a later date.