“Over the last forty years, I have been picking up pieces of Roman pottery, coins and other artefacts from my garden and the surrounding fields – sometimes it seemed as though every molehill and rabbit burrow turned up another fragment of the past. My curiosity finally got the better of me and I invited Britannia Archaeology to undertake a geophysical survey of the area. Their results were every bit as exciting as I could have hoped… …The question was what to do next.”
Peter Purdy, land owner and Project Director
“The project has been the friendliest and most inclusive of excavations and the enthusiasm of everyone involved has been overwhelming. Despite the many volunteers who were new to archaeology, the work has been carried out to an extremely high standard, and everyone has gained new archaeological knowledge.
Marsh Award for Community Archaeology November 2016 (Report here)
“The Aylsham Roman Project is an outstanding example of a successful community project, enabling local people of all ages to engage with and safeguard their important regional heritage. The Project is one of major importance in relation to our long-term understanding of the Roman presence in the region. It is already providing a valuable window into the past, and the project will eventually enable a unique insight into the workings of Roman rural Norfolk.”
“The Aylsham Roman Project is the kind of site you wish to find but very rarely do. The project is a joint effort between the local community and professional archaeologists allowing a level of interaction not normally achieved. It has been a genuine pleasure to work with everybody on this amazing project and we have been humbled by the feedback we have received. You have all made this something we will remember for the rest of our lives.”
Dr. John Davies, Retired Senior Curator, Norwich Castle
Martin Brook, Director, Britannia Archaeology
Thank you for inviting me to visit your dig this summer. I am so pleased you found another Roman kiln and such an interesting and unusual collection of Roman pottery. Even though I have been involved with researching Roman kilns for a long time I am not an archaeologist and I was amazed to see the skills of your archaeologist as she so slowly and carefully excavated the details of the kiln’s construction. What a success! Congratulations to you all!
Beryl Hines, Roman kiln enthusiast