Dig It! at Poulton 2026
We’re excited to share another of this year’s Dig It! competitions!
Three lucky winners will be heading to Poulton in Cheshire on Saturday 29th August. Winners will be hosted by the team at the Poulton Research Project and will be investigating a site on the English/Welsh border just outside Chester, dating back to the Iron Age!
During their Dig It! with YAC day, our winners will have the opportunity to experience a range of field-based tasks such as digging, processing finds, and learning other archaeological skills too – in fact, they’ll learn what being an archaeologist is really like!
What’s the history of the site?
Poulton is a fascinating site just outside Chester, rich in archaeology from the Iron Age, Roman and medieval periods! Over the last thirty years the Poulton Research Project team have discovered the remains of a medieval chapel, linked with the Cistercian Abbey of Poulton. There is also lots of evidence for Roman and prehistoric occupation, including at least two Roman buildings. Continuity between the Roman and early medieval period is something that archaeologists are really interested in so Poulton provides an exciting case study for what was happening in the post-Roman period.
So far this summer archaeologists have been exploring the remains of Iron Age features, including two roundhouse gullies, post-holes, and lots of animal bone, pottery and heat-affected stone. There has also been lots of later animal bone and pottery from the Roman period turning up too.
What else will I win?
Once again, we will be offering every winner an £80 bursary made possible by the Marsh Charitable Trust to help cover the costs of travel, accommodation and/or subsistence (your lunch!). These bursaries are designed to break down barriers to participation by helping cover the cost of attending for young people engaging with archaeology, making it easier for them to take part in life-changing fieldwork opportunities.
And that’s not all! Each winner will also receive a satchel of archaeological tools, including your own trowel, brush, magnifier and everything you need to record your finds. This fantastic prize has been donated by our friends at Past Horizons.
How do I enter the competition?
To be in with a chance of winning you will need to answer the following question:
How old are the oldest archaeological features discovered at Poulton so far?
- Iron Age
- Roman
- Medieval
Please Note:
- Each winner must be accompanied by a responsible adult on the day
- Winners must be aged 8-16 AND a member of YAC
- Parental/carer permission is required to enter.
- The deadline to enter is 19th August.