Bethlehem Street Report and Updates
Latest Update - Nov 2023
Background
The path to this excavation has taken some twists and turns and it would be wrong not to mention some people who have done some sterling work along that path.
The trail began with a lot of work by Society member Graham Parratt investigating the works of James Jillott culminating in the production of a booklet by the Society on the streets of central Grimsby and drawings of the buildings within.
This led to a desire by Our Big Picture, who owned a building in a block in Bethlehem Street, to put on an exhibition of all the Jillott drawings in their premises.
Although this did not go ahead, it was important for 'Our Big Picture' to find out whether the garden in the rear courtyard of the building could provide any answers to its previous existence.
Therefore they asked if Northern Lincolnshire Archaeology and History Society would be prepared to investigate and carry out an archaeological excavation in an effort to answer that question?
So, we prepared.
Image: The Big Picture, Bethlehem Street, Grimsby. Image Credit: Mike Pounder.
Excavation
The preparations began as with all digs, starting with Permission to Dig, Desk Search and Project Design, all before we put a spade into the ground.
This was an urban dig so great care had to be taken considering potential modern services in the area.
The following work was carried out solely by NLAHS members with great support from 'Our Big Picture' including regular teas and coffees for all!
Once we started moving down into the trench our caution derived from our Desk Search proved to be correct.
Finds
We had only seven days to excavate and backfill with an extremely well attended Open Day on the Saturday of the same week.
During all this time the team continually sorted and cleaned the finds maintaining Context identification in preparation for the report and its conclusions.
We then backfilled the trench and returned the courtyard back to its previous state.
The work continues now not in the trench but on the table with books and laptop in hand carrying out identification of finds and cataloguing them.
There is still much to do.
Image: Time to catalogue the finds. Image Credit: Mike Pounder.
Acknowledgments
'This excavation and the continuing finds analysis would never have happened without the skills and hard work of the society members. So many thanks to all who took part'.
Peter Allen. Site Director
