Please note that the summer dig in Forty Hall on the site of Elsyng Palace is now fully booked and new membership applications will not be processed until July 21st at the earliest.

We will be digging in the lime tree avenue in Forty Hall from July 6th to 20th, investigating the interior of the inner gatehouse of the Tudor palace, continuing the highly successful past two years' exploration of the extremely well preserved 16th century (and earlier) structures.

Our first two trenches will be targeting the interior of the building, focusing first on the inside of what we think may be an ornamental loggia at the gatehouse's west end, and secondly getting as close as tree root coverage will allow us to a complex multi-phased wall junction close to the second of the two octagonal turrets we have found on the gatehouse's southern facade.

A secondary objective of the dig will be to attempt to relocate the complex of walls that were first excvated on the site by the EAS in 1963-66. The 1960s digs in Forty Hall were the first to rediscover the palace, uncovering an immaculately preserved complex of walls, vaulted drains and other features, the foundations in some cases extending up to two metres below ground.

Although we know approximately where the digs took place, surveying technology in 1963 was not quite what it is today (nor were archive practices!) and so precisely pinning down the location of the various structural elements is crucial to our understanding of the site, not least becuase we suspect that last year's dig came within about five metres of the sixties work.

Trench three is therefore planned to be laid out to the north east of trenches one and two to hopefully intercept the line of one of the most shallowly buried walls that was found in 1965. Since the wall was found only inches under turf level it should hopefully be quick to confirm (or not!) its location.

There will be a public open day on Saturday July 12th with exhibits of recent finds, activities for children and archaeologists on hand to answer questions. We look forward to seeing you there!