The Fieldwork Group offers members an opportunity to take part in primary archaeological research and to acquire the relevant skills. Whenever possible, projects are carried out over weekends and public holidays. 

The Claverton Project 

The Society embarked on a new project in the summer of 2006, concentrating on an area to the west of  Heronbridge and known as the 'lost village of Claverton'. The project has four main aims: 

• to plan and examine the earthwork features resulting from our own landscape survey and those identified by Keith Matthews in 1999, to establish whether or not it is the settlement of Claverton

• to locate and examine the 'Grey Ditch', which is supposed to form the southern boundaries of the liberties of Chester. It is suggested that this may form the demarcation between the military settlement of Chester and the civilian settlement at Heronbridge

• to investigate the location, function and date of Hayward's Castle

• to carry out fieldwalking and documentary research in order to shed light on some of the industries in Handbridge and on the relationship between Chester, Claverton and Handbridge

This autumn, the Society will be surveying an area to the north of Eccleston Road, Handbridge, Chester. This will involve the use of modern surveying equipment, combined with the physical effort and commonsense of the volunteers in surveying the woods and fields in and around the site.

The fieldwork will run over consecutive weekends from 27 October through to 18 November, starting at 9.30 am and finishing at 4.00 pm. Volunteers will meet at Greenbank House and carparking is available at the rear of the building. 

In subsequent years, it is our intention to return to the project area, having identified suitable sites for geophysical survey and excavation. 

We shall be looking for volunteers to undertake further research regarding Claverton, the City boundaries and the relationship of the settlement with Handbridge. 

If you would like to know more about the Claverton Project or would like to volunteer, please contact Phil Miles.