​​‘Dig in’ to enjoy archaeology festival

Hosted by the Council for British Archaeology (CBA) and supported by the National Trust, the festival is the UK’s biggest annual celebration of archaeology, with this year’s festival theme being Archaeology and Community.

From July 13 to 28, visitors to selected National Trust places can get stuck in to a range of activities, from guided walks and talks, finds handling, children’s activities, surveying, and excavations to help members and visitors find out more about archaeology. Tattershall Castle and Gunby Hall will both be taking part.

Learn about the 800-year history of Tattershall Castle and the artefacts uncovered during its restoration in the early 1900s. For keen walkers, a 1.2km walk takes in the wider estate of Ralph's Cromwell's castle and reveals more about the scale and importance of the site during the 1400s. For younger minds, there are archaeology themed activities available in the castle.

During the Big Archaeology Weekend (July 27 and 28), there’s the opportunity to take part in brass rubbing in the Parlour, and hear talks by artefact handlers on how archaeologists work with, and learn from what they excavate.

Over at Gunby Hall, a four-mile archaeology walk will take place on Saturday July 27, between 10.15am and 12.15pm, to Bratoft Manor, the former home of the Massingberd family, passing through the old medieval village of Gunby. There will also be archaeology art activities in the courtyard.

Full details here