Charnwood Forest is about to reveal some of its best‑kept secrets. This spring, residents from Stanton under Bardon are being invited to take part in a community archaeology dig designed to uncover the hidden histories beneath their own gardens and village spaces.

Led by Professor Carenza Lewis (University of Lincoln and Time Team) and archaeologists from University of Leicester Archaeological Services (ULAS), volunteers will help excavate up to 30 test pits in the village, offering a rare chance to explore how Stanton under Bardon, and Charnwood Forest itself, has evolved over centuries.

The dig, organised by the Charnwood Forest Geopark and funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, combines archaeological research with hands‑on learning, community connection, and plenty of muddy fun. From local drop‑in meetings to excavation weekends and find‑sorting sessions, the initiative opens the door for people of all ages and abilities to get involved in real archaeological discovery.

The FAQs below answer the most common questions about how the dig works, who can take part, and what to expect from this unique opportunity to uncover the stories beneath your feet. If you have any other questions please contact us via dig.charnwood@leicester.ac.uk.

Why are we exploring villages in Charnwood Forest?

Our understanding of settlement in Charnwood is quite limited, especially from the end of the Roman period up until the Domesday survey in 1086, and we want to get a better understanding of when and how settlements appear in the forest and how they developed up to the modern day.

Previous community test‑pit excavations carried out with the Charnwood Roots Project between 2014 and 2016 in Anstey, Whitwick and Rothley uncovered thousands of artefacts spanning from the Mesolithic to the modern period, offering new insights into how these Charnwood Forest villages developed over time.

Across 89 test pits and with more than 450 volunteers taking part, the project showed that while prehistoric, Roman and post‑medieval finds were broadly in line with expectations, medieval pottery was unexpectedly scarce, suggesting that earlier settlement in Charnwood may have differed from other parts of Leicestershire.

The project highlighted the need for more test‑pitting in other forest villages to answer new questions emerging from the data.

We want to learn about what life was like for the people living in Charnwood in the past. How did they live their lives? What did they do for work and leisure? Did the population grow or shrink, and how would this have changed life in the village? We also want to look for evidence for earlier activity – Prehistoric and Roman finds showing us a continuity of activity across time.

If you would like to find out more about the results of the Charnwood Roots Project you can read this article https://doi.org/10.5284/1107414

Where will the digs take place?

The digs will take place in the four villages of Stanton under Bardon, Newtown Linford, and Woodhouse and Woodhouse Eaves.

When will we be digging in Stanton under Bardon?

The Stanton under Bardon test pitting weekend will be on 16th – 17th May 2026.

Why do we want to dig in Stanton under Bardon?

Stanton under Bardon is first recorded in the 1086 Domesday record as ‘Stantone’ (Old English for the ‘settlement on stony ground’). It possessed at the time 3 carucates of farmland, 1 league of woodland and a population of 18 taxed individuals (suggesting a total population of around 80 people). The ‘under Bardon’ aspect of the name was a later addition dating from at least 1327 – possibly as a way to distinguish the village from other Stanton villages in the Midlands.

The village had a complex manorial history, with land owned by the Knights Hospitaller, Leicester Abbey, Charley Priory, Ulverscroft Priory and the Ferrers family across its history. Historically, Stanton under Bardon has not had its own church, instead being a dependant chapel of Thornton. The chapel was in a state of disrepair by 1635 with its last use potentially in 1682. It was situated in an area of trackways and earthwork platforms focused around the junction of Main Street and Thornton Lane, suggesting this was the early focus of settlement. 18th and 19th century mapping shows the enclosure of land in 1779 and the development of modern Stanton under Bardon, with its main linear settlement along Main Street and further settlement along Thornton Lane.

Previous archaeological work has been primarily east of Main Street and in the fields between Meadow Lane and Thornton Lane. These investigations have not produced much in the way of archaeological material, though recent work has identified a north-south trackway – potentially an earlier form of Main Street. A Roman road is projected to run through the village towards Coalville, though it has never been recorded in excavation. Finds recovered from the fields surrounding Stanton under Bardon range from prehistoric stone tools to Roman and medieval pottery. However, our knowledge of material under and around the current village is limited, and test pitting in Stanton under Bardon would greatly enhance our understanding of the history of the village.

What do we want to do?

We want to recruit homeowners in Stanton under Bardon who are willing to offer a small area of their gardens for the excavation of an archaeological test pit.

An archaeological test pit is a small (1 metre x 1 metre) trench dug systematically in a series of 10cm thick layers to a maximum depth of approximately 1m. Each layer is carefully recorded, and the soil is sieved to recover archaeological artefacts which can tell us something about how the site was used in the past.

Test-pits can be dug quickly and their small size makes them ideal for investigating gardens and built-up areas like village centres. Digging groups of test pits across Stanton under Bardon will allow us to say something about the way in which the village has changed over time.

At the end of the weekend all test-pits area backfilled with the soil dug from them, and the turf is replaced.

Where can a test pit go?

Test pits are best located in undisturbed garden soil – ideally a grassed area. Back gardens are favoured for this as they are generally less disturbed, but front gardens can be just as useful. Before the test pitting begins, an archaeologist will visit all the prospective sites with the home owners to discuss the best location.

If you want to host a test pit but you are not sure if your garden is suitable, please contact us via the project email dig.charnwood@leicester.ac.uk.

I don’t have a garden / I don’t live in Stanton under Bardon, can I still take part?

Yes! The dig is open to everyone of all ages and abilities, including people from the village and those from further afield. If diggers would like to dig a test in their own garden, we manage the teams to accommodate this. Diggers are also free to host a test pit and dig somewhere else!

Digging a test pit usually involves a team of 4-5 people. You do not need any previous archaeological experience and we aim to have a mixture of experience in each team, so that at least one person has been on a previous test pitting project. A team of professional archaeologists will also be supervising group of test pits over the weekend, maintaining contact with each team throughout the day and helping to resolve any problems.

I want to host a test pit, but I’m not going to be in. Is this a problem?

This is not normally a problem. If you are happy for a team of diggers to access your garden whilst you are away you can still host a test pit. Access to the garden is required, and we would request that home owners leave their gate open for the duration of the weekend. This allows test pit diggers to come and go with minimal disruption.

Are there jobs which don’t involve digging?

Yes! The test pitting weekend is a big project which involves volunteers in many different roles. Test pitting is comparable to a couple of days of heavy gardening. As well as excavation (de-turfing, digging the test pit and backfilling) we want to recruit volunteers to sieve the soil for artefacts, record the test pits, collect finds from test pits, wash finds and provide general support to the different teams. There are lots of opportunities to help out beyond digging a hole.

Where do I sign up?

If you would like to host a test pit or volunteer to take part in the dig at Stanton under Bardon, please contact us via any of the following methods:

Contact us: dig.charnwood@leicester.ac.uk

Register: https://forms.office.com/e/xqL9xF1AHs