North Thoresby Excavation 2025

What Happens Next? 

North Thoresby

Fieldwork Project North Thoresby, Spring 2025

The Society was invited by the North Thoresby History Group to lead an archaeology fieldwork project on an ancient meadow adjacent to the village church.

The project was overseen by David Start and undertaken with members of the North Thoresby History Group.

A magnetronomy and ground penetrating radar survey was carried out towards the end of March 2025, after which the Society worked with David Start and Ian Wright, Leader of the History Group, to develop a fieldwork project consisting of surveying and carrying out targeted excavations on the site.

This is the story of the dig from one Society member, Annie.

“Over 4 glorious weekends in May, in an undulating ancient meadow covered in buttercups and surrounded by hedgerows dripping with may blossom, NLALHS joined with North Thoresby

History Group to dig six targeted trenches, trying to uncover evidence of use over the centuries.

And evidence there was - from hundreds of butchered bones all across the site, pottery sherds of many different vessels from the 20th Century, backwards through medieval times right back to an Anglo-Saxon cremation urn. 

Evidence of rubbish pits and ancient ditches emerged - dug either for drainage or as boundaries. 

Everyone worked harmoniously together from those with decades of knowledge and expertise to those who had never been to a dig site before and every level in between. 

Those who couldn't dig set to labelling, cleaning and sorting the many finds, which have now been recorded ready for further analysis. 

North Thoresby group were exceptionally well organised and one of the best things was access to a proper toilet in the cool confines of the old church.

An unexpected and arduous task was snipping away hundreds of nettle roots from the trench surface prior to it being photographed

but we mucked in and got the job done. 

Parties of local school children enjoyed sifting through the spoil heaps, looking for 'treasure'.

Getting in and out of the smaller trenches became less elegant as they became ever deeper and more delicate features were discovered, reducing space to place your feet and knees but at

least we were sheltered from the wind blowing above. 

We were able to help with measuring, surveying and drawing - making records before the trenches were all filled in again and we disbanded - tired, aching and dirty - but exhilarated and

looking forward to the next opportunity to come together.”