THE BIG DIG!

The story & what we found...

iThe Big Dig -  May 2019, at Bath Gardens near Boston Docks, the probable site of the Hanse steel yard and the Hanse warehouse.  Together with Heritage Lincolnshire and APS, we undertook archeological investigations, looking for the walls of the old warehouse. It was a difficult project as the old Boston Hospital had been built on the site and subsequently demolished. At the front of what would have been the warehouse was a new housing estate. 

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More than 500 people of all ages took part in the dig, making it a fantastic community success.  Primary school children, members of all our Secondary schools, older residents and people taking time off work - they all came to dig.

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The Big Dig consisted of a number trenches explored over several weeks. Supervised by a team of archaeologists; volunteers, children and even the Mayor and Local MP came and got their hands dirty! 

We found evidence of the occupation through finds of glass, pot sherds - both local and German, oyster and winkle shells and other finds, showing that the the location was defiantly home to the medieval merchants. Sadly we didn't find any walls, although there was lots of evidence of medieval brick rubble. 

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Local Historian Neil Wright tells us that the site was flooded on many occasions over the last 1000 years and the river has changed its course. 

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Lydia Hendry, the lead archaeologist, explained the significance of the finds which included large amounts of medieval pottery some of which may be French. They have gone to Lincoln to be catalogued before the best are returned to the Guildhall along with final reports.