Hello everyone
It is Day One of dig season 2019
Welcome to Sudeley Castle!
We are in very beautiful Gloucestershire
right in front of the most amazing castle
and we're in a disused field
looking for what we think might be beneath
it
which is a lost Tudor garden
a very famous Tudor garden
where Elizabeth I had a three day party
celebrating the defeat of the Spanish Armada
where she basically almost
bankrupted her host Lord Chandos
in his preparation for the party
part of that we think would have been
a temporary banqueting house
What did it look like? How big was it?
How permanent was it? How ostentatious was
it?
We just don't know!
And where was it? We also don't know
What we think is that this mystery hump behind
me
is more than just nettles and a beautiful
tree
we think that underneath this is the banqueting
house
And the digger has already been hard at work
We're turning up huge chunks of dressed stone
We're finding big chunks of masonry
and other bits and pieces
We've got waterpipe
We've got a lovely cast iron grate
And this I think is going to be my favourite
trench of the dig
Tomorrow is going to be so great because
our first bunch of Venturers
are coming along
and I cannot wait to see their little faces
when they get a look at this place
I mean it's just insane
The setting is really magnificent
the history of this place is just all around
you
every minute
and when they realise the task in front of
them
and just how much history
is here underneath our feet
I just can't wait
It's our first day in the trenches
with our Venturers
and they've joined us today
to help clean up this trench
before we really get stuck in
with doing the digging
So behind us we have a trench
investigating a mound
that might have been part of the banqueting
hall
that was built for Queen Elizabeth I
But for now we're getting the section edges
nice and straight
with our Venturers
ready to get going this week
And it's been such a successful day
We have cleaned back pretty much all of
the trench that's behind me
against all odds really!
It's been such a bright, sunny day
It's made the digging a little bit difficult
But we've done it, and it feels great!
We've got some green glaze pottery
which is really really exciting
all sorts of little bits really!
I'm looking forward to getting back here tomorrow
And I can't wait to update you again
in a couple of days' time!
