Norton Community Archaeology Group Hope for archaeological dig success Comet 13th August ‘07 HIDDEN history is hoped to be uncovered during an archaeological dig. Norton Community Archaeology Group has begun an excavation in Church Field, Norton, on the outskirts of Letchworth GC. Church Field - or Churchwyck Field - is an area of pasture between Church Lane and Norton Road that has been recognised as containing archaeological earthworks. Some of the earthworks show the lines of old roads, including the original main street through the village, while others belong to long-demolished buildings.The current excavation is taking place in the corner of the field beside Norton Road, closest to The Three Horseshoes pub. This was the site of a barn, seen in an old photograph and on old maps, which was demolished when the road was widened in the 1930s. Although the excavation only began on August 1, the foundations of one of the barn walls have already been uncovered, along with rubble from its demolition. What the group is hoping the excavation will reveal is the date when the barn was built, and what it was used for. If there were any earlier buildings on the site, they hope to uncover these also. Norton Community Archaeology Group was formed in 2006 to explore the heritage of one of the three historic parishes that make up Letchworth GC, and includes local residents and amateur and professional archaeologists. There have been a few small excavations in the village before, which have shown that it is on the site of an earlier Roman settlement. Archaeology officer for North Hertfordshire District Council, Keith Fitzpatrick-Matthews, who is leading the current dig, said: "It is fascinating to have such a lengthy occupation of a North Hertfordshire village, as it is not mentioned in documents before AD 1007." He added: "One of the great advantages of archaeology is that it doesn't depend on rare ancient documents surviving to tell us about the past - it deals with the rubbish all human beings leave behind during their daily lives. "Working on an archaeological project is something that almost anyone can do. "Although there is a lot of hard work in the actual excavation, there are other aspects such as washing and sorting the finds, researching old maps, and so on, that don't need a lot of physical effort." The site is open five days a week, Wednesday to Sunday, until August 26. Visitors and volunteers are welcome. For more information, call Keith Fitzpatrick-Matthews on: 07717777451 or visit: www.nortoncommarch.co.uk (This article reproduced with kind permission of the Comet newspaper)
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