We will be returning for a second year of test pitting this season at Albury Park to investigate the deserted medieval settlement which once stretched across the course of the former road which continued all the way to Shere. The original village of Albury was displaced in the early 19th century (to its current location to the west), and little now remains standing of the former cottages. However, with the help of geophysical survey, LiDAR and - of course - a large-scale series of test pits spread across the site, we are working to uncover and learn more about the original settlement!

Our Summer excavation 2024 will take place at Cocks Farm Abinger. Following excavations on the scheduled Roman villa site our focus has moved to the field adjacent to the villa. Magnetometry indicated a series of field boundaries, ditches, pits and other anomalies (see https://www.surreyarchaeology.org.uk/content/excavations-at-cocks-farm-roman-villa-abinger-2009-present-interim-reports).

We will returning for one final week of test pitting this season at Albury Park in September, to investigate the deserted medieval settlement which once stretched across the course of the former road which continued all the way to Shere. The original village of Albury was displaced in the early 19th century (to its current location to the west), and little now remains standing of the former cottages.

The latest season of excavations in the field adjacent to Cocks Farm Roman villa will take place 17th June - 23rd July 2023. The plan is to further explore magnetometry features in the field adjacent to the Roman villa, adding to our knowledge of human activity on the hill from prehistory onwards.

Dates are as follows: 17-20th, 22-26th June, 29th June - 3rd July, 6-8th, 13 - 17, 20-23rd July.  

If you are interested in taking part please contact us via romanstudiesgroup@btinternet.com

The latest season of excavations in the field adjacent to Cocks Farm Roman villa will take place 3rd July - 2nd August 2022.

Actual dates are as follows:  July 3-5, 8-12, 15-19, 25-26, 28- 2nd Aug 2022. 

If you are interested in taking part please contact us via romanstudiesgroup@btinternet.com

Priority will be given to RSG members and members of SyAS, but it is hoped to accommodate all those interested in taking part.

COVID 19

The advertised excavation  in June-July has been postponed due to the Covid 19 pandemic. We are hoping to reinstate the dig, government guidelines permitting, later in the summer. However we are not accepting any more volunteers as numbers are likely to be severely restricted.  Participants already registered will receive further e-mails with the latest information.

This summer work is planned in the field north of the Roman villa looking for further evidence of Iron Age and Roman rural activity.

As part of the Mesolithic Hinterlands of Surrey project, run by Tom Lawrence (Oxford Archaeology), we will be running one weekend of community test pitting in August (17th-18th 10:00-16:00) utilising the flint methodology. This will be preceded by a training day at our Research Centre at Abinger on Saturday August 10th. 

Participants of all ages are invited to book a slot for a full weekend of test-pitting at Nonsuch Park over Heritage Open Weekend (Saturday 21st-Sunday 22nd September) to undergo investigation of the Tudor Old Stables.

Finding Farnham is back, and Surrey Archaeological Society is running not one, but two community archaeology test pitting events in 2019 in Farnham! 

On Saturday 6th and Sunday 7th July, there will be two days of community test pitting (10:00-16:00) at Holt Pound, where members of the public are welcome to sign-up and have a try at digging, sieving or helping to process the finds. 

Free for all - open to all ages

All sessions must be booked in advance – for info, contact outreach@surreyarchaeology.org.uk.