Pontefract & District Archaeology & History Society
Looking forward…to learning more about our past

Please click on the picture for the full report

2019 Fieldwork

2021 Fieldwork

Fieldwork

Throughout its existence, the Society has been very active in locating, excavating, rescuing and recording features of significance to our past. This page will provide links to information on places where the Society has been, and continues to be, involved. Click here to see a selection of Past Fieldwork
Pontefract & District Archaeology & History Society
Looking forward…to learning more about our past
© All text and photographs on this site are copyright. All rights reserved. Please contact the Society for further information.

Fieldwork

Throughout its existence, the Society has been very active in locating, excavating, rescuing and recording features of significance to our past. This page will provide links to information on places where the Society has been, and continues to be, involved. Click here to see a selectionof Past Fieldwork
Please click on the picture to get the full report

2021 Fieldwork

In August 2021, eased Covid-19 restrictions and suitable farming schedules allowed a window of opportunity to open for South Leeds Archaeology (SLA) to resume fieldwork at their former Victorian colliery site near Birstall. Excavations over the bank-holiday and following weekends were arranged, and PontArc members were invited to participate Excavations in 2019 (which some PontArc members had also attended) had discovered the remains of a brick building with a stone flagged floor, presumed to be a weighing-office or similar, and the 2021 work aimed to reveal more of the same building. Investigations of associated features identified in geophysics and old maps were also planned. A small group - less than 10 each day - of SLA and PontArc members were able to complete the objectives and (sadly) back-fill all excavations over the two weekends. Lotta and Matt from PontArc joined Phil in the fieldwork and put in sterling efforts. As is often the case with archaeological investigations, as more features were revealed, the more questions were raised, and the findings require further interpretation. However, this does mean there should be more fieldwork for us back on site with SLA next year in the search for answers – watch this space for updates! An overhead view of the features exposed in 2021, taken from the 3D model produced by Phil. (Search for Pontarc Phil on Sketchfab.com to view the model).

2019 Fieldwork