The CBA and Forestry England are proud to welcome you to the launch event for the 35th Festival of Archaeology. This free family friendly event will be held at the Westonbirt Arboretum, the ideal location to explore this year's festival theme, nature.
*The event is free to enter, but does require booking - please scroll to the bottom of this page for additional links to the booking page*
Join us for a wide range of free events and activities, including themed walks through the wonderful Arboretum landscape, experimental archaeology demonstrations, craft activities, living heritage displays and talks with some of the most exciting voices in British archaeology today.
We'll keep updating this page in the build up to the launch, but we are delighted to reveal that the following partners will be helping us launch our 2026 Festival:
Ancient Craft - experience James Dilley and Emma Jones showcasing some of the best experimental archaeology demos in the land
Boss Morris - the Boss Morris is a group of female creatives who share an artistic and progressive vision of morris dancing as a means to increase social engagement and interest in this unique and ancient folk dance, and will be leading dance workshops
Regia Anglorum - the local branch of this leading early medieval re-enactment group will bring their expertise and displays to the launch
Location
Westonbirt, the National Arboretum, Nr. Tetbury , GL8 8QS, United Kingdom
Additional location/direction information
GL8 8QS. Westonbirt, The National Arboretum, Tetbury.
By Car:
From M4 (approx 20 mins)
Exit Motorway at Junction 18
Take the A46 north towards Stroud
After a few miles turn right onto the A433 (signed Cirencester). Continue on this road for approx three miles and the arboretum is on your left.
From M5 (approx 20 mins)
Exit at Junction 13 onto the A419 (towards Stroud) Take the A46 (towards Bath)
After going though Nailsworth, you come to traffic lights at the cross-roads
Turn left onto A4135 to Tetbury
In Tetbury, turn right on the A433
Continue on this road, passing through Doughton, for approx three miles. The arboretum is on your right.
By Public Transport
The Robin Bus is a local bookable bus service. Available 7:00am to 7:00pm, Monday to Saturday.
You can reach the site by bus on Mondays to Saturdays: Stagecoach - Single journeys capped at £3 - Starts 1st January 2025.
Bus routes and times
From Stroud Bus 69 runs to Westonbirt several times a day, allowing for a 3 or 6 hour visit.
From Bath take Bus 620, which continues as bus 69 from Old Sodbury to Westonbirt (stay on the same bus).
From Bristol take Bus Y1 or Bus Y5 to Yate Shopping Centre to connect with bus 620/69.
Train travel
There are direct trains to Stroud from London, Reading, Swindon, Gloucester and Cheltenham. You can also visit Westonbirt by train and bus from Bath.
Kemble and Yate Stations are the closest stations to Westonbirt. It’s a 20-minute taxi ride from either. A group of 3 or more can save 34% on GWR trains with a GroupSave ticket.
Schedule
Sat, 18 Jul
9:00 AM
|
5:00 PM
Duration of event
8 hours
Additional booking information
Please follow the link for booking information. The event is free, but booking is required to secure entry to the event.