Calne Castle project ready to start

The Archaeology Field Group project at Calne Castle Hill Site project can now get under way, as approval for the first stage has been received from Wiltshire Council. The project aims to find archaeological evidence to show whether a castle ever existed on the site. There are 29 current or now disused local place names containing the word 'castle' which strongly suggests that there was a building, motte and bailey or hill fort of some importance on the site.

A small working party has been busy applying for a Challenge Fund grant from the Council for British Archaeology, obtaining licences, organising field work, and site protocols and has completed a Project Design. The first million brambles have also been cleared on the 10 x 10 metre site.

Initial survey work will carried out jointly with the Bath and Camerton Achaeological Society between 4 and 5 May 2010. In the expectation of stage 2 licence being granted excavation work has been scheduled for 5 to 19 July 2010 with public Open Days on 17 and 18 July to coincide with the first weekend of the Festival of British Archaeology.