Dig It! at Bamburgh Castle 2026
We’re excited to share another of this year’s Dig It! competitions!
Three lucky winners will be heading to Bamburgh Castle in Northumberland on Saturday 25th July. Winners will be hosted by the team at the Bamburgh Research Project and will be investigating one of England’s largest and most impressive castles on a sight that has been used for coastal defense since the early Anglo-Saxon period.
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?
Our current area of excavation is St Oswald’s Gate and the outworks beyond. The gate and outworks connect Bamburgh the fortress to Bamburgh Village, and to the wider landscape and seascape beyond. This was the original entrance to the castle that is written about in the 8th century AD, but was likely the entrance to the fortress from the prehistoric period. Our current excavation is exploring a medieval tower with a reputed well at its base, which could possibly date to the early medieval period.
The Bamburgh Research Project have had a number of fascinating seasons on this site already with a wealth of discoveries – and it is clear many more are to come! Amongst the most fascinating is the presence of a substantial timber structure beneath the water table as the base of the well-room within the Tower of Elmund’s Well. Could this be evidence of a structure even older than the tower? The well was likely built to serve the adjacent port, now silted and cut off from the sea, making an early date is at least possible. The presence of a forged 10th century coin, sadly disturbed from its original context, does suggest activity in this area during that period.
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:
What is the name of the gate entrance to Bamburgh’s fortress which is currently being investigated?
- St Cuthbert’s Gate
- St Hilda’s Gate
- St Oswald’s Gate
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 5th July.