The annual festival, organised in partnership with the Council for British Archaeology, runs from Saturday 18th July until Sunday 2nd August. It is the UK’s largest archaeology festival, offering interactive activities, guided walks, expert talks and hands-on experiences for all ages.
Wiltshire’s Avebury will host a dedicated Festival of Archaeology Day on Tuesday 28th July between 11am and 3pm.
Children will be able to hunt for buried treasures in specially created sandpit excavations before making nature-inspired clay tablets, giving them a chance to experience archaeology during the school holidays.
A range of other National Trust sites across the South West will also be taking part in the festival.
Visitors to Dunster Castle can watch archaeologists carrying out a live ground-penetrating radar survey in the search for the remains of a Norman castle.
At Chedworth Roman Villa, visitors can experience Roman Britain through living history displays, Roman cooking demonstrations and archaeology workshops.
Other events include archaeology walks exploring Tudor history at Newark Park, experimental archaeology activities at Studland Bay and guided walks through medieval landscapes around Hardy’s Monument in Dorset.
Families can also take part in archaeology activities and test pit digs at Godolphin in Cornwall, while exhibitions, tours and hands-on events will be held at Prior Park, Barrington Court, Trerice and Greenway.
Many festival activities are included with normal National Trust admission, although some guided walks require advance booking.
Further information and booking details for individual events are available through the National Trust.
