West Essex Archaeological Group - WEAG

West Essex Archaeological Group - WEAG West Essex Archaeological Group, formed in 1958 by Dr. E Rudge, is a local community archaeological society, affiliated with LAMAS and the CBA.

Find us in Instagram WEAG (Registered charity number - 263486) was formed by Dr. Ernest Rudge, then Principal of West Ham College, and a number of amateur archaeologists and
historians

Together with our colleagues at Copped Hall who run sessions for young visitors, WEAG is working to create a set of educational programmes for groups of visitors from schools and colleges who want to understand what is involved in archaeological investigations and possibly to visit an actual working site.The Group also organises monthly lectures during the academic year. WEAG had organised and carried out excavations in West Essex since the 1960's. In the early days our most important excavation was of the Romano-British temple at Harlow. During the construction of the M11 motorway the Group excavated several sites revealed by the work, and prior to the construction of the M25 the Group, in cooperation with other similar groups in Essex and Hertfordshire, carried out field-walking along the proposed route. Considerable work was carried out on the Romano-British settlement at Little London, near Abridge. The Group has often worked with the Waltham Abbey Historical Society at Waltham Abbey and maintains close links with the Epping Forest District Museum and the Museum of Harlow. Currently, WEAG is excavating at Copped Hall on behalf of the Copped Hall Trust, investigating the remains of the 16th Century Tudor Mansion.

05/10/2026
Pop along and say hello to your local archaeology group and see the wonderful historic car from Copped Hall. At the Loug...
19/09/2026

Pop along and say hello to your local archaeology group and see the wonderful historic car from Copped Hall. At the Loughton Day event till 4

14/09/2026

Lecture reminder - our first lecture of the 26/27 season is tonight on Zoom.

Monday 14th September 2026 at 7:15pm for 7:30pm

We are pleased to welcome Ian Channel from Epping Forest District Museum for -
'Discovering Roman Durolitum: The Story of a Small Town in Epping Forest District and the Story Behind the Exhibition.’

Members will have recieved the meeting details via email non members please email [email protected] and we will forward you the link.

Our archaeology weekends for the Festival of Archaeology are now sadly finished, as is our Summer Season of excavations ...
25/08/2026

Our archaeology weekends for the Festival of Archaeology are now sadly finished, as is our Summer Season of excavations at Copped Hall. If you missed out on our courses this year and are interested in joining us next year please email [email protected] to be added to the waiting list. You will be the first to hear when we release dates later this year.

In the meantime enjoy some photos from our third and final archaeology weekend course of 2026.

Students focused on the Y trenches in the change of level bank and a new trench located on some interesting magnetometry results from last year.

A huge thank you to all our members who came out to Copped Hall to dig with us this past week. We made fantastic progres...
24/08/2026

A huge thank you to all our members who came out to Copped Hall to dig with us this past week. We made fantastic progress in the Y trenches ( located in the change of level between the lawns) and we also started a new slot trench LL in the lower lawn to investigate a feature that became prominent as a result of the drought. Lots of recording has been carried out this week which is a vital part of archaeology. We have filled in context sheets, produced plans and sections of each trench and carried out photogrammetry (creates 3D models). We have also washed and processed hundreds of finds.

Our 8 day excavation culminated in the Summer Open Day at Copped Hall which was a lovely end to the week and allowed us to show off all the amazing work carried out by volunteers.

We are drawing (quite literally) towards the end of our 2026 Summer Members dig at the beautiful Copped Hall. Much progr...
22/08/2026

We are drawing (quite literally) towards the end of our 2026 Summer Members dig at the beautiful Copped Hall. Much progress has been made with finds processing artefacts from our Experience Weekends and we have been recording our trench features through context sheets, plans, sections and even photogrammetry

Work continued in Trenches Y, YB, YC and a new trench LL. Over our 8 day members dig we focussed on recording as much of the Y trenches as we could with the hope of closing these trenches in the near future. The Y trenches contain various garden features including a large east-west wall between the two levels of the garden, possible flower beds, a brick built drain and of course, on this site, pebble paths!

Following the drought conditions we noticed a large hump in the lawn with large cracks running either side and decided to place a small slot trench across the feature to see what was causing this change in the lawn. Vast lumps of clinker have been found and by the end of the last day of digging a land drain appeared right at the bottom of the trench beneath the clinker. This trench (LL) was producing a lot of Victorian artefacts and will be further studied next year.

11/08/2026

💍 New Acquisition: Early Medieval Gold Ring from Matching 💍

We're delighted to share one of the museum's newest acquisitions is now on display thanks to the generous support of heritage organisations and donors.

Discovered by a metal detectorist in the parish of , east of , this remarkable early medieval ring is crafted from a thin gold sheet and decorated using the cloisonné technique. Intricate gold wirework encloses carefully shaped pieces of red garnet and white quartz, creating a highly skilled design.

Objects of this quality were likely worn by people of high status, serving as symbols of wealth, authority, and personal identity. At its centre is a motif that may depict a bird in flight, an image that could have held meaning in both pagan and early Christian traditions.

As the first ring of its kind discovered in the district, this exceptional find is of national importance and provides a fascinating glimpse into early medieval .

📍 Visit Epping Forest District Museum to see it for yourself.

Essex Portable Antiquities Scheme Arts Council England Art Fund Waltham Abbey Historical Society West Essex Archaeological Group - WEAG

💍✨

11/08/2026

🏺 Last Few Places Available! Archaeology Talk Tomorrow Evening 🏺

Join us for tomorrow evening for a fascinating journey into the past as the West Essex Archaeological Group (WEAG) shares discoveries from their excavations at Durolitum, near Chigwell.

🎤 Talk by Lee Joyce and Tony O'Connor
📅 Wednesday 12 August
⏰ 7.00pm to 8.00pm (doors open 6.45pm)
📍 Epping Forest District Museum, Waltham Abbey
🎟️ £7 per person

Discover the story of one of Essex's most important Roman sites and hear directly from those involved in exploring its archaeology.

☕ Drinks and refreshments available.

To book: 📧 [email protected]
📞 01992 716882
Or book online: https://www.ticketsource.com/efdmuseum

Don't miss this opportunity to hear about your district's Roman heritage!

Escaping the heat on site with a lecture on non invasive archaeology this afternoon
09/08/2026

Escaping the heat on site with a lecture on non invasive archaeology this afternoon

11/05/2026

**NEXT TALK AT THE MUSEUM!**

Join us on Wednesday 13 May for a talk by Dr Carolina Rangel de Lima, Project Curator for the British Museum's 'Legion: Life in the Roman Army' exhibition and Doctoral Researcher at the University of Reading.

Dr Rangel de Lima will explore what life was really like for soldiers in the Roman army — a world defined by strict discipline, relentless training, and demanding physical labour. With legionaries serving for 25 years, the role was challenging and often ruthless, yet it offered security, status, and honour.

Doors open 7-8pm, 6.45pm. £7.00 pp. Drinks and refreshments available. Book here- https://www.ticketsource.com/efdmuseum/talk-life-in-the-roman-army/p-eborbj, email us at [email protected] OR phone us at 01992 716882.

West Essex Archaeological Group - WEAG Waltham Abbey Town Council The Waltham Abbey Guide Visit Waltham Abbey Waltham Abbey Historical Society Nazeing History Nazeing Parish Council Ongar Town Council

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Usually Found In Waterlogged Trenches Or Drinking Tea At Copped Hall
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