04/03/2025
DigtheCastle Update
The story of Great Torrington, the castle and the community, has raised interest across the UK and closer to home. After having a well-earned rest in early 2024, the team at Dig the Castle has been very busy this winter 2024/2025. Leading on from our national award win in July 2024, the project was further nominated at the prestigious Archaeology Achievement Awards, with the ceremony held in Cardiff in November 2024. The project has also been nominated for the Flourishing Culture Awards for North Devon and Torridge, with the awards ceremony being held in Barnstaple in March 2025.
Last year the team also went to the national Museums Archaeology Conference, where we presented the project, and there was much praise for all that the community had achieved. We have also given talks on the castle and project to Rotary clubs in Bideford and Torrington, as well as to national amenity societies, the Bristol and Avon Archaeological Society, and North Devon Archaeological Society. This work is important as it spreads the story of Great Torrington wider afield and we take the Heritage Trail leaflets with us to distribute, to encourage people to come and visit the town!
We have been working hard on turning the raw data from the 2023 excavation into products and resources for the community, and have sought another round of funding to enhance the information boards and signs at the castle site for visitors and locals. We are working on a plan for an event in July, to coincide with the Council for British Archaeology Festival of Archaeology (19th July - 3rd August 2025), followed by another small excavation in September/October 2025, where the public will be able to come along and watch archaeologists excavating live and to view the finds, as they come out of the ground. The project will also be the focus of an article in the renowned British Archaeology magazine: Issue 205, which will hit news-stands in October 2025.
Plenty to be excited about in the year ahead… watch this space!
John Eeles & Emily Wapshott, Dig the Castle Team Leaders