UCL archaeologists joining forces with National Trust to excavate at Bodiam Castle

19 June 2024

The dig is the start of a three-year project called #Bodiam100, exploring the castle’s buried archaeology in the lead-up to its 100th anniversary in the care of the National Trust in 2026.

An imposing castle with crenelated walls and towers sits on a large calm moat. Low sun reflects off the water.

Archaeologists from the UCL Institute of Archaeology and Archaeology South-East will soon be on site at Bodiam Castle. They will be digging for three weeks in the summer, from late July to mid-August.

The excavations hope to uncover more information about the history of the landscape around the castle. This year, trenches in Dokes Field to the north of the castle will explore the line of the Roman road that runs through the field, and in Freren Mead to the south of the river.

National Trust Archaeologist Nathalie Cohen said “We’ve already undertaken geophysical surveys using magnetometry and ground penetrating radar, which have returned some intriguing results and given us some interesting targets to explore”

Geophysical surveys have already been undertaken. © National Trust/James Brown

The project is supported by the Hastings Area Archaeological Research Group, the Wealden Archaeology Group, and National Trust volunteers. The dig will also be a training excavation for students, including some from the Institute of Archaeology.

You can visit the excavation as part of a series of events running at Bodiam during the project, including guided tours and opportunities to meet the team, during the Festival of Archaeology.