NAU Archaeology, working in partnership with South Holland District Council, is in the process of undertaking a programme of archaeological works in and around the gardens of Ayscoughfee Hall.
This work aims to gain a better understanding of the history and archaeology of the gardens and the way in which they developed over time. There will also be a strong focus on community participation, with the archaeological work being open to the public, volunteers and local schoolchildren.
The results of this work will be posted on this website as they emerge, so that you can follow developments as they happen. This page will be regularly updated with the latest news, including a weblog kept by the site staff and volunteers.
In the initial stages of the project, research was undertaken into the surviving documentary, cartographic and pictorial sources relating to Ayscoughfee Hall and its gardens. As a part of this research, several visits to the site were made by specialists in garden history and archaeology.
The resulting report provides a detailed account of the development of the gardens since they were first laid out c.1730 and includes extracts from historical maps of the site. A PDF copy of this report can be downloaded here.
To aid in the current research and help with the future management of the gardens, a detailed topographic survey was undertaken. This survey records the layout of Ayscoughfee Hall and gardens and is so detailed that it even shows the position of all of the trees. A PDF version of this survey can be downloaded here.
Our archaeological work at Ayscoughfee Hall continues to attract a great deal of attention from the local press. A series of illustrated articles reporting on our progress have appeared in recent weeks.
In late January 2008, NAU Archaeology began a series of archaeological excavations at Ayscoughfee. Our excavation team will be keeping a regular diary in which they will describe the work and present its findings.
Click here to read the excavation diary.
Click here to meet the team.
South Holland Ayscoughfee Gardens Heritage Project Website.