In April 2010 the Wallingford Burh to Borough Research project, together with Wallingford Museum, carried out excavations in Castle meadows, near the old north gate of the Saxon and medieval burh. The excavation was unusual in that it involved re-excavating some trenches originally dug in the 1960s, which had been laid out in true Mortimer Wheeler style grid formation. Once the position of these had been ascertained, we added our own box-trench to the series,  digging into a previously untouched part of the lower burh ramparts, dated to the middle-late Saxon period.

opening the 2010 trench

finding the 1960s trenches

excavating the old 1960s trenches

re--drawing 1960s sections

trowelling on top of lower part of Saxon rampart

late Saxon or Viking sword guard

opening up a new box trench as a continuation of the 1960s series

sieving the spoil for finds

grass-tempered pottery from lower layers of Saxon rampart

a school visit to the site

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