At Yorkshire Housing, we’re not only dedicated to building developments, but we also take great pride in engaging with local communities, such as this one we’re about to tell you all about…
Recently, we visited a site what will eventually be our first gas-free housing development located in Amotherby, where we were joined by the village’s primary school children and their teachers, to see archaeologists digging for Anglo Saxon (and some Roman) artefacts!
The archaeological survey is required for planning before the development can go ahead. All work is to be carried out prior to the development as part of the planning process by local company, MAP Archaeological Practice Ltd. The excavation area has been securely fenced off and the public footpath is maintained while the work takes place.
As the children set foot on the excavation site their eyes lit up with enthusiasm and curiosity, eager to learn more about what was going on! The site was used for animal enclosures for the Anglo-Saxon families that once lived there and had already revealed fascinating evidence of Iron Age enclosures and trackways through a previous Geophysical Survey and Trial Trenching, making it even more exciting! What’s even more fitting, is many of the children are learning about all of this in their history lessons.
Of course, the questions poured in for the archaeologists, and a few we noted down were:
1. What have you found so far?
A range of discoveries had been cleaned and put on a table for them to see. The artefacts included a horse’s leg, sheep’s teeth, combs, needles, sheers, and a weaving card – which they said was an important find as it provides evidence of weaving activity in the area!
2. What will happen with the findings?
The archaeologist explained that every discovery is a piece of our shared history, and the artefacts will be carefully curated and transferred to the local museum, allowing people in the community to appreciate and learn from the village’s past.
3. Has anything been found that hasn’t broken?
Unfortunately, this did happen! As the archaeologists carefully tried to pull out a pot, it crumbled into pieces.
Throughout the visit we were asked if they can visit the site again with their families and the answer is yes! The archaeologists have organised for people living in the area to visit the site on 23rd August 2023, as well as some of their discoveries.
Our commitment to building a sustainable future goes hand in hand with working with local communities and in this case helping to understand Yorkshire’s past. Stay tuned for more updates on the survey and of course, our new gas-free development, which will eventually be home to 58 new properties!