Flooding at Wednesbury

We have returned to the site for the past week to further explore the remains of earlier elements of the site which were evident beneath the eighteenth century layers. Apart from some very interesting finds, including a gun barrel as well as the shoe (see below), and some possible crucibles.

Early 18th century circular brick chimney.

One of the crucibles in situ.










Yesterday the site flooded out after a whole day of torrential rain, which gave us some idea of what the sluices and watercourses may have looked like in their original state...

Culvert roofs standing proud of the water, the pre-culvert open water- course returns!

Water flowing through the sluice gates for the first time in a hundred years.

The northern wheelpit full of water.

Pointed leather shoe sole

If anyone out there can help us in identifying the date of this shoe we would be very grateful. It was discovered during our excavations at Wednesbury, in deposits which could date from the 16th to the late-18th centuries.

Wellington (Shropshire)

We started work on a new site in Wellington a couple of weeks ago. The site comprises a sevententh century farm with possible earlier origins. Further reports will no doubt follow as the excavation work proceeds.

Seventeenth century timber-framed barn.