Festival of Archaeology at Greys Court, 15 to 21 July

Greys Court has seen many changes in its 900-year history, since being recorded in the Domesday Book in 1086. One of its most intriguing historical phases saw a medieval manor house and gardens on the site, surrounded by walls and fortified by towers. Fragments of this medieval past still survive, including the 14th-century Great Tower and an even older length of the boundary wall. A small-scale archaeological excavation is planned this Summer in an attempt to find out more about the form and scale of the medieval and later manor house.

The excavation will explore the evidence provided by a series of ‘parchmarks’ (indicating the locations of buried walls and other features) and will attempt to discover more about a gatehouse that formed the entrance into the courtyard. Visitors will be given close access to the excavation as its results unfold, and a chance to view any finds. We hope that this investigation will add to our knowledge of the earlier phases of this amazing property.