Uncovering Barrow upon Trent: Our Community Dig Project
Welcome to the Barrow Community Dig (BCD) project—an ongoing, long-term archaeological investigation into the origins, growth, and history of Barrow upon Trent.
Through a series of annual weekend digs, local residents, volunteers, and archaeologists come together to explore what lies beneath our gardens, green spaces, and paddocks. By taking archaeology out of commercial sites and into our everyday living spaces, we are mapping the evolution of our village from its early pre-medieval roots right up to the modern era.
What Makes Our Community Dig Special?
Archaeology in historic villages is often restricted by modern buildings, paved driveways, and private ownership. Traditional large-scale excavations are rarely an option.
Our project overcomes this challenge through test-pitting—opening small, carefully placed 1m x 1m archaeological pits across the village landscape. Each pit acts as a small window into the past. Taken individually, a single pit tells the story of one garden; taken together across multiple years, they create a detailed map of how Barrow upon Trent expanded, shifted, and thrived over centuries.
What truly makes our dig project unique is its community heart:
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Citizen Science in Action: Local volunteers are at the centre of every stage—excavating, sieving, recording, and processing finds alongside experienced supervisors.
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Direct Access to Local Heritage: Residents get the rare opportunity to discover the history buried directly beneath their own lawns and gardens.
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Shared Local Discovery: Findings aren’t locked away; they are brought together on local Finds Days, recorded for regional archives, and shared with the entire community.
Why We Are Doing It
Every sherd of pottery, piece of building material, or medieval artifact recovered helps fill in missing pages of Barrow’s local history.
Our ongoing research aims to answer key questions about our settlement:
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Origins & Expansion: Where was the original core of the early settlement, and how did the village layout evolve through the medieval and post-medieval periods?
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Daily Life & Industry: What kinds of ceramics, tools, and materials were people using, and what do they tell us about trade, farming, and daily routines in South Derbyshire across the centuries?
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Preserving Local Identity: By building a long-term, multi-year dataset, we are creating a lasting archaeological record of Barrow upon Trent for future generations.
Join Us for the Next Chapter
Following our initial seasons, the Barrow Archaeology Group is committed to continuing this journey across future years—with upcoming community digs planned for 2027, 2028, and beyond.
Whether you want to offer your garden for a test pit, pick up a trowel, help with soil sieving, or assist with cataloguing finds, there is a place for everyone. No prior archaeological experience is necessary—full training and guidance are provided!
