Families enjoy day of digging up history at Heckington Manor

The event at Heckington Manor was hosted by new owners Charles and Sally Pinchbeck, working with experts from Heritage Lincolnshire, which is based in the village.

They are keen to promote awareness of the history of the site and prior to beginning renovations wanted to give families a chance to experience it through a hands-on archaeology day.

Community archaeologist Lydia Hendry said it is a building of huge interest to the village, with many people having memories of its previous uses as a rehabilitation clinic for alcoholics, as a care home and as a private residence before the war.

As well as sharing memories, to compile an oral history project, people could have a go at excavating in two test pits with archaeologists - one in the sunken garden and one on the line of the old driveway to the front of the house.

Others could take part in doing a geophysical survey of the grounds to pick up remnants of previous buried structures.

There was such interest with the fieldwork, they could have filled the slots several times over.

Lydia said they were teaching people to dig in an archaeological manner, collecting any finds, washing them and identifying them.

Mr Pinchbeck was delighted at the enthusiasm and being able to share the heritage as well as being excited to see a piece of Midland ‘black ware’ pottery from Tudor times (16th century) emerge from the pit in the sunken lawn, predating the existing house.

Lydia said: “Cowgate, where the manor stands, was the original road through Heckington going back 1,000 years. It was mentioned in the Domesday Book.”