Ivan Clowsley

A Princely Buriel Cherington

I was really looking forward to this dig working with Richard Osgood and the Operation Nightingale team in the beautiful Cotswolds.

When we arrive on site on day 4 we do a quick recce and blimey do they have some great archaeology here. The weather is good but we hear they’ve had a lot of rain. Our eyes nearly pop out when we see Trench 1: an adult and a child’s skeleton, with fantastic preservation. It never fails to move me seening burials like this. Trench 2: a perfect circle in the ground it can only be a roundhouse can’t it? So we don’t muck about; after Richard briefs us we’re introduced to Matt Nichol of Cotswold Archaeology and he gets us immediately involved. My first task is helping clean back the trench to help show up the features in trench 2. I start on a very dark area which must be a pit. Then we are onto the natural, it’s very hard limestone in layers and covers a large area- it almost looks man made. We’re asked to avoid the pink stone in the middle, what is it a hearth: a funeral pyre? What ever it is, it’s intriguing. By close of play with a lot of hard work we’ve almost finished cleaning back the trench. As in Aldbourne most of the Military Vets are camping but a few of us have the luxury of an Airbnb in Tetbury and a night in the pub to look forward too, a great first day.

Day 5 Friday

Tiny bit of Trench 2 to tidy up today then to photograph it and record it and this took quite a while. We went for an early lunch provided by Kerry Ely, Mr Fixer man, with a dry wit and a ready smile. Lovely chap.
Matt started marking out slots to explore the features. I had part of the drip gully if that’s what it was. It aught to be a shallow feature. I gently teased out the fill consisting of very dark soil, large rocks and stones and lots and lots of worms. But it wasn’t shallow, Matt gave me advise as did Richard Osgood who were both astonished at the depth of what can only be a foundation trench. A very flat edge meant this building must have been made from planking. Romano British roundhouses plank - built are pretty damn rare in this part of the world - wow. Had a nice surprise when a shadow fell across me, I looked up to see the smiling face of another Time Team gem popping in to visit the dig. It was Jon Beaver digger driver and new Co admin’ for this Facebook page a happy ‘chappy’ he is too.

Day 6

Today was going to be a special day, a once in a lifetime day, we were having a VIP visitor. A member of the Royal family no less, Princess Anne.

Today I finished my ‘gully/ foundation trench’ and got it looking as clean and tidy as I could. I was pleased with how this one had turned out my work confirmed the type of dwelling that had once stood here. Matt then gave me some post holes to section both shallow affairs so possibly ‘raking posts’, according to Helen to support the roof and porch to the roundhouse. Carlos needed a hand working on what was thought to be the roundhouse door way, it had to be somewhere didn’t it?

The Royal party arrived and Richard Osgood gave them a guided tour and they wandered around talking to us all. I even made Princess Anne laugh so that was a turn up for the books. She was very interested in what we were doing and spoke to all of us.

Day 7

A half day’s digging today then time to depart.

I sectioned another small posthole then cleaned up Emma’s ‘storage’ pit the one where human bone was found! It was difficult work as the pit was awkward to get yourself in to and manoeuvre yourself in to a comfortable position to work; but I managed it in the end. And made a nice job of it if I say so myself!

A great few days digging with Operation Nightingale and my Time Team buddies. I think we really added to the historical and archaeological story of this part of the Cotswolds.