Marsh Charitable Trust – Marsh Award for Community Archaeology Project of the Year

Marsh Award for Community Archaeology Project of the Year

This Award is run in partnership with the Council for British Archaeology and celebrates volunteer projects who carry out exceptional archaeological work within their communities and help to sustain our cultural heritage for future generations.

The Award recognises and promotes the results of research and/or fieldwork led by community groups which have made a substantial contribution to knowledge and wellbeing in their local area.

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South West Maritime Archaeology Group and the Salcombe Shipwreck Sites 2025

The South West Maritime Archaeology Group (SWMAG) are a group of divers who over the last 30 years have discovered and explored many wreck sites of national significance, including the Salcombe Cannon site (discovered in 1992) and the Moor Sand site (discovered in 1977). Over the years, many important discoveries have been made including Islamic gold coins, a collection of Bronze Age swords and other Bronze Age artefacts which provide a detailed history of the vessels. In 2019, Historic England commissioned a project to recruit new team members for SWMAG, noting the aging demographic of the current team in a bid to preserve the future of the group and its work. Volunteers were recruited through social media, and a number of fieldwork dates were arranged so that the volunteers, who were already trained divers, could enhance their archaeological skills. Only one original member of the team still takes part in dives, and the others have taken to giving talks to impart their knowledge on the Salcombe sites and give hands-on demonstrations of how to use the research equipment. A total of 17 new members joined SWMAG thanks to this project and the original members have found a new lease of life, allowing them to continue with the archaeological work when they were no longer able to take part in the dives. The project has allowed for a truly inclusive approach to this important archaeological work to continue for many years to come.

Previous Winners

Dig the Castle Project, Great Torrington, Devon

Great Torrington is a small town in North Devon with a rich archaeological history. The Dig the Castle Project took place in Autumn 2023 and was an attempt to explore the town’s little understood motte and bailey castle and to involve the community as widely as possible. Local stakeholders and the public were contacted and engaged with, resulting in over 100 adult volunteers participating in the dig and over 200 people attending the open day (which was also featured on local TV and radio). Schools were also involved in the project, with over 150 children directly engaged with through designed education programmes and digs and others attending the site for tours and talks with the archaeologists. Following the completion of the dig, lectures have been held throughout the area to share the findings and continue the engagement with the community. The Dig the Castle Project created a tremendous sense of community and purpose, the benefits of socialising with others and the satisfaction of digging and making finds was clear to see. People learnt new skills, made new friends and got to learn more about their local heritage which until then had been largely unknown.

Small Pits, Big Ideas

Small Pits, Big Ideas took place across 6 locations in Worcestershire. Local residents opened up their gardens and supplied encouragement and participation in unearthing the past. Over 30 people took place in each location over separate weekends, along with experienced archaeologists. Whilst the project was impacted by lock-down, everyone took advantage of the fresh air, opportunities to mingle and to be active together. The presence of mentors helped to ensure that everyone from young people to older people could both learn and participant and share their experiences. New friendships were formed within the communities and beyond. The project engaged with university students, amateur archaeologists and local archaeology groups to guide and support the participants through the process from locating, excavating, recording and finds identification. These skills were enhanced amongst the more experienced. Follow-up Zoom talks helped to re-engage with participants. Following the project a roadshow exhibition of the finds started at local libraries, as well as a series of lectures to various local history groups.

Uncovering Roman Carlisle

Uncovering Roman Carlisle is funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund and is led by a partnership between Carlisle Cricket Club, Wardell Armstrong LLP, Carlisle City Council and Tullie House Museum and Art Gallery. The project centred around the excavation of an internationally significant site at Carlisle Cricket Club, a suspected Roman bathhouse that was discovered in 2017. This is an important excavation site as there is no other tangible Roman heritage visible in the city and there has been no recent opportunity for local community involvement in archaeology on this scale, or any other accessible way for residents to learn about the region’s Roman history. The project also intended to support wellbeing and skills development that was important after the various lockdowns. 288 individuals from a range of ages and backgrounds were able to take part in the project and they experienced a sense of discovery and enjoyment from meeting new people and contributing to their local area. Taking part in the excavation introduced and reinforced knowledge about Roman Carlisle to residents. The dig has created a cohort of enthusiastic and newly experienced volunteers who are interested in contributing to similar projects and sharing their skills in the future.  