Walks, Talks, Courses and Events

A list of the various educational services supported and provided by Chester Archaeology.

Full-time courses

Archaeology is now available to degree level as a minor, equal and major subject in the BA Honours (Combined Subjects) programme at Chester College (external link). Chester Archaeology staff make a major contribution to the teaching of this course

National Archaeology Day and Heritage Open Day

Each July and September we organise a variety of family activities in support of these national events, which are intended to promote awareness of our heritage. This is your chance to meet our staff and find out how archaeologists work. Admission is normally free. Details are available at the Grosvenor Museum and are advertised in the local press a few weeks in advance.

Walks and talks

In addition to the pre-arranged lectures advertised in 'What's on in heritage', staff are happy to give talks and guided tours to societies and groups on request. These can be tailored to suit the occasion and the audience. To make a booking, please contact whichever member of staff seems appropriate to your interests. We should prefer at least two months' notice. We normally charge a fee for this service (currently £35 for an hour's talk, plus expenses). The regular talks given by staff are listed below:

Peter Carrington

Ancient Greece - catalyst of the Mediterranean world 
A look at how Greek traders, colonists and generals spread ideas and culture through the Mediterranean from the 10th to the 4th century BC.

Shotwick Castle
A  pleasant stroll to explore the impressive but little known earthworks of this royal castle by the old shore of the Dee estuary. (Maximum party size 30)

Farndon
A tour around this picturesque village will help you to understand a key place in west Cheshire: an important river crossing in Roman and Civil War times and centre of a Saxon royal estate. (Maximum party size 20) 

The exploration of Roman Chester
An account of major discoveries and changing perspectives

Gillian Dunn

Roman ceramics
Explore the range of pottery vessels used in Roman Britain - how and where were they made? what were they used for? and where are they now? Emphasis on north-west England.

Roof tiles are one of the most common finds on excavations but what can they tell us about the buildings of Roman Chester?

Roman finds
An introduction to the everyday items of Roman Britain

Roman trade in Chester
Imports and exports - what does the evidence tell us?

The health and wealth of our ancestors
A look at what we can learn from burials - the past environment, diet, warfare, diseases and injuries

Chester Archaeology: who we are, what we do and how we can help you
We are keen to work with local societies to mutual benefit. This talk outlines our expertise, resources and projects with a view to finding areas of co-operation.

Julie Edwards

Medieval pots and potters
Pottery and everyday life in the medieval period

An introduction to medieval pottery from Chester  
Learn about pottery which was used in medieval Chester, including pottery made locally as well as wares imported from the rest of Britain and the Continent 

From tygs to teapots
Changes in lifestyle and fashion from the Tudors to the Victorians reflected in the archaeological evidence from Chester

Victorian rubbish
Finds from excavations at Hamilton Place, Chester

Alison Jones

What's in a pot?
What is pottery and how was it made, decorated and fired? An introduction to the technological processes involved in Roman pottery production, including a brief outline of the main types of pottery vessels found in Roman Chester.

An introduction to Roman pottery from Chester 
A chronological tour of the pottery vessels from Roman Chester, using examples from our collections as illustration.

An introduction to Roman finds from Chester
From the humblest sherd of pottery to the most magnificently carved tombstone, the finds from Roman Chester can tell us a lot about how people lived, what they ate and drank and what sort of buildings they lived and worked in.

Why not try Roman cookery? 
What did the Romans eat and drink and how do we know?

Mike Morris

Recent archaeological work in Chester and District

Ian Smith

The zooarchaeology of Merv, a city on the Silk Road
The ancient fauna of this great multicultural city as revealed through the study of excavated animal bones and ancient art and literature; also looks at the environmental setting and modern fauna.

Zooarchaeology
A practical introduction to the methods used to study animal bone. Particularly suitable for undergraduates

Simon Ward

Stones and bones; the archaeology of Chester Cathedral 
Recent excavations have given us our first clues about the Cathedral's complicated history and hints of its Saxon and Norman predecessors.

Medieval religious houses in Chester 
The nunnery and the friaries, together with the great abbey of St Werburgh, once occupied a quarter of the city. Now lost to view, archaeology has revealed  their impact and importance. 

Archaeology of Chester in the Middle Ages
Centre of a great earldom, headquarters for the conquest of Wales, bustling trading centre: these are the themes of medieval Chester revealed by archaeology.

Divided loyalties 
Chester during the Civil War 1642-46