Story behind Iron age and Roman town discoveries in Banburyshire is told in history society lecture on Thursday

James West, who was the Site Manager for the Blackgrounds Excavations and other sites along the route of HS2

Telling the fascinating tale is James West, assistant project manager with Museum of London Archaeology (Northampton) was site manager for the Blackgrounds Farm excavations and many other archaeological sites uncovered on the HS2 route.

The lecture takes place on Thursday (January 12) at 7.30pm at Banbury Museum.

The building of HS2 has enabled an unprecedented amount of archaeological investigation to be undertaken and many amazing discoveries have been made along the scheme’s route.

Work in Northamptonshire is no exception and James West will speak about the large-scale archaeological excavation he directed at Blackgrounds Farm near Chipping Warden.

At Blackgrounds, archaeologists have been able to trace the history of a settlement that started in the Early Iron Age (6th century BC) and eventually became a small Roman town or villa complex, continuing until the 5th Century AD when it was abandoned.

With a thousand years of intensive occupation, the excavation has provided a wealth of archaeological finds and discoveries which illuminate all aspects of life - and death – throughout a period of great cultural changes.

The lecture will also be streamed using Microsoft Teams Live. Please sign in with Simon Townsend ([email protected]) just once if you would like to receive the links to watch at home. Non-members are very welcome to attend the lecture (£3 fee); they can receive one lecture streamed for free but will then be invited to pay per screening or to join the society.