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 follow the link on the right hand side of this page to reach 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.
The event is free to enter, but does require booking
We also have a series of free talks and workshops throughout the day. Please note you need to pre-book each activity to take part:
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. You can book in to join a morning and an afternoon workshop.
Book your spot here: morning | afternoon
11am – 12pm: Westonbirt could not be a better venue for Jonathan Mullard to celebrate the paperback launch of Forgotten Forests. Book your free spot here
12.30pm – 1.30pm: For the latest on Stonehenge, Susan Greaney will be launching her new book, Stonehenge - The Story of an Icon, reflecting on the latest developments at this world-famous monument. SOLD OUT
3.30pm – 4.30pm: Closing his trilogy of books exploring human dynamics with nature, Wyl Menmuir will be talking about The Spirit of Stone. Book your free spot here
2pm – 3pm: We're also excited to bring music to the launch event, with Cathy Tattersfield leading us through an exploration of the folkloric songs of Gloucestershire. Book your free spot here
In addition, we will be joined by:
Ancient Craft - experience James Dilley and Emma Jones showcasing some of the best experimental archaeology demos in the land
Regia Anglorum - the local branch of this leading early medieval re-enactment group will bring their expertise and displays to the launch.
The beautiful Great Oak Hall will be our authors and musicians hub.
Our amazing Community space will return, in the form of a grand tipi, where archaeology, heritage and nature focused organisations will be sharing their projects, handling collections and activities.
Organised walks will be running throughout the day, exploring the landscape of Westonbirt, the history of the site, and the archaeology of the landscape.
Art and dendrocrhonology workshops will run throughout the day in the education rooms, while you can also visit the coppice compound, to learn about coppicing and witness a day long charcoal burn.
