Spring Conference 2026
New insights into medieval rural settlements in eastern England: the contribution of public and community archaeology
Saturday 18th-Sunday 19th April 2026, Deans Conference Centre, Lincoln College, Monks Road, Lincoln, LN2 5HQ
Programme
Also available to download as a PDF.
Saturday 18th April 2026
| 9:30 | Registration, tea and coffee |
| 10:00 | David Start (Spirit of Sutterby) The Spirit of Sutterby: excavation, palaeography, fieldwalking and fruit cake in the Lincolnshire Wolds |
| 10:30 | Richard Parker (Norton DIsney History and Archaeology Group) Digging Disney: Test pit excavations by local volunteers exploring the development of Norton Disney |
| 11:00 | Ellis Morgan (Southwell Community Archaeology Group) The Burgage in Medieval Southwell, Nottinghamshire |
| 11:30 | Break (tea and coffee) |
| 12:00 | Richard Pincott, Catherine Pincott-Allen (The Field Detectives) New insights from historic landscape studies into monastic farming estates in Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire Owthorpe, Stathern, Hoveringham and Cropwell Butler. |
| 12:30 | Mathew Morris (University of Leicester Archaeology Services) Bosworth Links – community test pit excavations contribute to wider knowledge of rural settlement development in the Sence Valley of Leicestershire |
| 13:00 | David Budge (Mercian Archaeological Services) Settlement, castle, church and battle: new insights from a collaboration community landscape project at Cuckney, Nottinghamshire. |
| 13:30 | Buffet Lunch |
| 14:15 | Marcus Jecock (Historic England) Community excavations at Hanging Grimston, East Yorkshire |
| 14:45 | Eleanor Blakelock (Sedgeford History and Archaeology Research Project) 30 Years of rural settlement and cemetery excavation in and around Sedgeford, Norfolk |
| 15:15 | Gil Burleigh (Pirton Landscape Archaeology Group) New medieval discoveries from community archaeology in North Hertfordshire, 2016-2026 |
| 15:45 | Break – Tea and Coffee |
| 16:15 | John Castling (University of Durham) The Bishop Big Dig – A community-engaged test pitting project in Bishop Auckland, Country Durham |
| 16:45 | Emily Abrehart (Oxford Archaeology) From moated manor to wider knowledge: The impact of community archaeology at Wimpole, Cambridgeshire on social value and archaeological research |
| 17:15 | Rob Hedge (University of Leicester) The value of community-generated research for advancing knowledge of rural settlement development |
| 17:45 | Discussion – chaired by Carenza Lewis (University of Lincoln) |
| 18:00 | End of Day 1 |
Sunday 19th April 2026- Fieldtrip to medieval settlements in Lincolnshire
| 9:30 | Depart Lincoln College, Monks Road, Lincoln, LN2 5HQ |
| 10:15 | Gainsthorpe deserted medieval village (DN21 4JH) |
| 11:45 | Via North & Middle Carlton shrunken / deserted villages (LN1 2RS) |
| 12:00 | North Ingleby DMV (LN1 2PQ) walk 500m to South Ingleby DMV |
| 13:30 | Norton DIsney for buffet lunch |
| 14:15 | Tour of Norton Disney |
| 16:30 | Arrive back in Lincoln |
Please see the PDF for more details of the sites to be visited.
Conference Fee
Saturday conference: Members in-person fee £28; non-members in-person fee £38 (including parking, refreshments, buffet lunch). Online fee £15.
(delegates to make own arrangements for dinner / accommodation on Saturday evening)
Sunday field trip (minibus/car): Own transport £22 Transport provided £30 (including buffet lunch).
Previous events
For information on our previous events, visit the Past Events page.
Papers from our seminars, featuring current work in the UK and Ireland and northern and central Europe, are available to view on our YouTube channel.
Medieval Settlement Research Group 