Mayflower Stephen Hopkins & your English Heritage

18/06/2026

🍃Yesterday at the Dig…🪏

After a short break, we’re back in the trenches!

Work resumed yesterday with an expanded excavation of Trench 3. So far we’ve uncovered fragments of clay pipe, pieces of glass bottles and a selection of ceramics. No spectacular treasure just yet but as any Time Team fan (or archaeologist!) will tell you, every fragment helps tell the story of the people who once lived, worked and gathered here.

We’re back on site again today, hopeful that the next scrape of the trowel might reveal something a little more exciting.

Meanwhile, Trench 4 is looking particularly promising, where we’re hoping to uncover the foundations of an outbuilding associated with the old pub. If we’re right, it could add another fascinating piece to the story of this historic site.

For our friends across the Atlantic, especially the many descendants of Stephen Hopkins, every discovery helps us better understand the world he knew before sailing to America. Even the smallest finds can offer remarkable insights into everyday village life over 400 years ago.

As local legend Phil Harding (Time Team) & former colleague of our own archaeologist would probably say…archaeology rewards patience. (Although we still wouldn’t mind stumbling across a chest of gold!) 😆

BBC News Andover & Iron Age Museum

07/06/2026

03/06/2026

Unearthing an 18th-Century Copper Token in Hampshire Garden

Found - this fascinating 18th-century copper token in the garden of a thatched cottage in Upper Clatford, Hampshire.

Dated 1788, it comes from a time when Britain suffered a shortage of small change and local merchants issued their own tokens for everyday trade. Over 230 years later, it’s amazing to think whose pocket it once sat in and how it ended up in this cottage garden.


#1788

31/05/2026

Dig Update - Saturday’s Discoveries, Another Day, Another Mystery! 🔎

The team have once again been hard at work uncovering more of our village’s past, with plenty of interesting finds and the occasional muddy challenge!

Trench 1 (T1)
Peter and David continued yesterday’s excavation and uncovered what could be a flint-cobbled footpath or floor. Scattered across it were several metal construction items, more pottery fragments, and plenty of winkle and oyster shells evidence that someone clearly enjoyed their seafood 😂

Another pocket of coal clinker was also discovered. One pottery fragment briefly raised hopes of being Bronze Age burnished ware with flint inclusions, but after closer inspection it turned out to be a case of mistaken identity. Archaeology can be full of surprises… and occasional disappointments!

Trench 2 (T2)
Alex and Ellie continued clearing the rubble layer and were rewarded with more domino pieces and our first chess piece of the dig, a castle (rook). The trench also continues to provide what feels like an endless supply of crockery. Some pieces are being found close to where they originally broke, helping us piece together life in the past rather like a giant historical jigsaw puzzle.

Trench 4 (T4) – “The Swamp”
Lynn and Sam bravely returned to what has become affectionately known as “The Swamp”. After flooding overnight, the trench needed to be sponged out before work could begin. Progress remains slow, muddy and messy, although there is some good news, the smell has eased slightly!

Despite the conditions, T4 is proving to be one of the most intriguing areas on site. Current thinking is that a substantial clay structure may have formed part of a weir or water-control gate. Wooden planks are being carefully exposed to avoid damage as they come into contact with the air. Alongside these, a wooden post has been uncovered in the centre of what appears to be a sluice feature. This trench is rapidly becoming one of the stars of the dig.

Meanwhile, Lynn also managed some metal detecting and uncovered the remains of a rather unusual spade-like implement complete with attachments and a bolt fitting. It is currently being cleaned and examined by Jan and we’re looking forward to finding out exactly what it might have been used for.

📢 Please note: The site will be closed Sunday.

Thank you to all our volunteers for another excellent day’s work and for proving once again that archaeology is not always glamorous, but it is never boring!

29/05/2026

THE DIG TODAY 🪏

Today’s dig brought plenty of mud, mystery and a few proper cliff-hangers…

Work continued across Trenches 1, 2 and 4, with the team uncovering more clues about the site’s past and a few surprises along the way.

In Trench 1, Sue and Mike, supported by Vaughn, picked up where yesterday’s work in Trench 2 left off. Their mission: trace the line of the foundation trench across into T1. After some determined mattocking (and no doubt a fair bit of sweat), they reached the level where the foundations are expected to appear… but not quite far enough to reveal them. So tonight we’re left with an archaeological cliff-hanger!

The digging did, however, uncover several finds, including oyster and winkle shells and an exciting discovery: a broken but almost complete pale ware mug emerging from the soil.

Meanwhile in Trench 2, Alex continued yesterday’s excellent progress, joined by Ellie to investigate what appears to be the interior of the building. Their work quickly revealed two courses of brickwork sitting neatly on a layer of flint nodules, an early form of damp-proofing and a very sensible one given how close the water table is here.

More finds also came to light, including another large fragment of a creamware jug decorated with two faces, plus two more domino pieces. Quite who was losing at dominoes all those years ago remains unknown…

Over in Trench 4, Sam, our bio-environmentalist, tackled the increasingly soggy depths of the old sluice. The trench has now reached just above the water table, where conditions are tough, muddy and in Sam’s words, ‘organically fragrant.’ 😂

The team uncovered chalk packing behind brickwork, a layer of grey-blue clay lining the base and sections of wooden planking at the western end. Together, these seem to have formed part of the sluice lining, designed to stop water escaping into the water meadow during its quarter-mile journey to the canal.

Perhaps the biggest mystery of the day is a large square-ish block of clay-like material found at the bottom of the trench. It’s clearly man-made and clearly important but exactly what it did remains uncertain. Current thinking is that it may have played a role in controlling the flow of water through the sluice.

All in all, another fascinating day on site with plenty more questions waiting to be answered tomorrow!

If you want to join in, the dig continues on tomorrow..just bring a good sense of humour, sensible footwear and I reckon biscuits would go down well 😂😆

28/05/2026

📍 Update on The New Inn Archaeological Dig today: Coins, Cake & Clues from the Past 🪏

Another good day at the New Inn dig, where the slow and careful assembly of history continues rather like a very dusty jigsaw puzzle but with no picture on the box.

Among today’s discoveries were a couple of coins, still awaiting identification. A large piece of ceramic, believed to be part of a soup tureen, was also uncovered.

Kevin (archaeologist) spent much of the day meticulously mapping the site for future work and generations to come, ensuring that long after we’ve packed away our trowels, someone else will still know where we found the mysterious bits and pieces we all got excited about in 2026.

Morale received a tremendous boost when a lovely lady from Manor Rise arrived bearing a Victoria sponge. Archaeological protocol required immediate investigation and I can confirm the cake disappeared very quickly.

Tomorrow promises slightly cooler weather, for which the volunteers will be grateful. There is still much to uncover and the excitement continues to build as we wonder what stories the ground has yet to reveal beneath our feet.

Again if you’d like to join in please do nip along and say hello. The dig continues all through this week until Saturday. Sunday a day of rest and back at it again digging from Monday until Wednesday.

26/05/2026

The British are completely bonkers when it comes to traditions…and I thought you might appreciate this one. This cheese chasing race is held annually on Soring Bank holiday Monday (yesterday).

Every year in Gloucestershire, otherwise sensible adults throw themselves down an almost vertical hill chasing a wheel of Double Gloucester cheese!!

This tradition is older than America itself and may date back hundreds of years possibly even pagan fertility rituals.

So while Stephen Hopkins was bravely crossing the Atlantic and helping build colonial America… somewhere back home his fellow countrymen were bravely chucking themselves down a hill.

The cheese reaches terrifying speeds.
Nobody can actually catch it.
Several people lose all control of their limbs.
And the winner is usually the person who survives the descent with the least injuries & concussion 😜

Thought you’d enjoy this little glimpse into British culture 🇬🇧🧀

Here’s a newsreel covering the story yesterday

https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1cAfKPTjEU/?mibextid=wwXIfr

….And just in case you want to read more on it’s history:

Origins and early history

The event is extremely old. The earliest written record dates from 1826–1836, but even those records describe it as an already established tradition. Historians believe it could be several hundred years old, possibly dating back over 600 years.

Two main theories explain its origins:

1. Grazing rights tradition
One theory says the event helped local people maintain rights to graze animals on common land around Cooper’s Hill. Rolling the cheese symbolized continuing ownership and community rights.

2. Pagan fertility ritual
Another theory links the race to ancient pagan celebrations welcoming spring and ensuring a good harvest. Before cheese was used, people may have rolled burning bundles of wood down the hill as part of seasonal rituals.

How the race works

A round of Double Gloucester cheese is rolled down the steep hill. Competitors race after it, often tumbling violently because the slope is so steep.

The cheese can reportedly reach speeds of around 70 mph (110 km/h), making it nearly impossible to catch. Usually, the winner is simply the first person to reach the bottom.

Why it became famous

The event became internationally famous because of:

* dramatic crashes and injuries,
* bizarre British tradition appeal,
* viral internet videos and TV coverage.

Today, competitors come from around the world, not just Gloucestershire.

Safety controversies

Because of repeated injuries, official organizers stopped formally managing the event in 2010, but locals continued it unofficially. Ambulances and volunteer rugby players are usually stationed at the bottom to help catch injured racers.

Modern cheese rolling

The race still happens every Spring Bank Holiday and remains one of Britain’s strangest and most famous traditions. This year.. 2026, German competitor Tom Kopke won again, defeating long-time local champion Chris Anderson.

25/05/2026

After the dig….

After a busy afternoon at The Dig mostly involving chatting, meeting visitors and looking convincingly interested while other people did the hard work, I wandered down to the church for a bit of peace and quiet.

What a day it’s been. Blazing hot sunshine, not a single cloud in the sky and enough suncream applied to waterproof a small boat. It has honestly felt more like southern Europe than Upper Clatford and definitely the hottest day we’ve had in May for years.

25/05/2026

More photos from The New Inn Archaeological Dig, Upper Clatford…🪏

At the foot of Sam White’s Hill, Upper Clatford where travellers, locals, gossip and good ale have crossed paths for generations, The old New Inn entertained company once again today, albeit with slightly fewer tankards and rather more trowels.

If any of you happen to be in the UK, the dig continues and anyone interested is warmly welcome, no previous archaeological experience required, merely curiosity and sensible footwear.

Dig dates if you’d like to join us:

📍 Wednesday 27th - Saturday 30th May
📍 Monday 1st - Wednesday 3rd June

After all, history is far too important to be left entirely to historians!!