Hanley Castle DigThis took place from Monday 24 September to Saturday 13 October in two fields next to the River Severn, just north of Quay Lane in Hanley Castle. Six trenches were dug to search for Roman finds. Bill and I helped out for four days in the first week. We found glass, pottery and iron-working slag - all Roman - on our first day.
It was very muddy in the trenches and field and hard work shifting the mud out as it clings to trowels, boots, buckets and spades. We were in Trench 2 which was very long but full of stones, though not enough to be classed as a Roman road.
In the morning the local Women’s Institute came along with tea, coffee and biscuits, which were very welcome. Lunch was an open air picnic - bring your own food and drink. Then in the afternoon the Women’s Institute came up trumps again with tea, coffee and cakes. Our working day was 10 - 4, so the breaks split it up into 75 minute sessions.
There were some medieval finds - a piece of a medieval mixing bowl, part of a late medieval chafing dish or container of embers to keep food warm, part of a ridge tile and a large nail. But the vast majority of finds were Roman.
There is nothing left now of the castle built by King John about 1210 at Hanley Castle - just the dry moat and mound. When Constance of York stayed at the castle in Brian Wainwright’s book Within the Fetterlock, there was an important wharf on the river. This was still there when the castle was owned by the Earl of Warwick, and later by the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester (Richard and Anne). So I had hoped there would be a lot more medieval stuff found.
Since then we have walked along the River Severn on the opposite bank. There would have been a wharf that side too. The bridle way from the A38 to the river is known as Donkey Lane, as donkeys were used to transport goods back and forth. Across the A38 is Quay Lane in Earls Croome. This is directly across from Quay Lane in Hanley Castle.