Highdown Big Dig – Worthing Archaeological Society

A community dig at Highdown Hill, Sussex, organised by Worthing Museum, the National Trust, the Headly Trust and Worthing Archaeological Society, 19 July – 1 August 2025.

Day 0 – 18 July 2025 – Surveying and Setting Up

Surveying team taking a well earned break after a long morning. Very hot on the hill this morning but beautiful. All very excited about starting tomorrow. [Photo Clare Richardson]

Day 1 – 19 July 2025

Photos Chloe Doodle, Jennie Williamson, Cheryl Hutchins

Day 3 – 21 July 2025

Daily tours from the Highdown Gardens car park started today!
Sondage sinking in Trench B.
It’s bovine, not human!
Trench H is looking beautiful…and complex.
Roman pottery sherds from Trench B.
Coin of George II.
Trench C at the end of the day.

Photos James Sainsbury

Day 4 – 22 July 2025

The bottom of a grave cut.
-The tour comes through the site.
Toby the dig dog.
Trench B clearing down to chalk and graves.
Trench H down to chalk and showing possible posthole features.
At work in trench.
Finds tent.
Iron-age bead.
Piersed pottery sherd.
Pottery sherd.
Roman nummus of Crispus.
Cowlands Castle-ware sherds.
Iron-age blue glass bead.
Recording small finds in trench G.
-22 sainsbury-Roman period thumb print pot sherd.

Photos Jennie Williamson, James Sainsbury

Day 6 – 24 July 2025

Photo Jennie Williamson

Day 8 – 26 July 2025 – Open Day

Anna-Mae and Henry digging a pit in Trench B.
Crowds inside the hill fort.
A bottle of 19th century port in a 5th century grave cut.
A young warrior in training…
Flint knapping demonstrations!
Georgia showing finds from Trench B.
A snapshot of visitors before the site became even busier!

The Anglo-Saxon re-enactment group Weorod were with us throughout the day with demonstrations of the Anglo-Saxon way of life. There were also free tours, flint knapping demonstrations and a children’s workshop.

Day 10 – 28 July 2025

Spoil heap.
View across the site.
View across the site.
View across the site.
View across the site.
Visitors approaching!
6th century bronze buckle.
A selection of finds.
Discussion over a feature in Trench H.
Ed and Henri are happy after successfully excavating (and recording) a complex grave cut.
Trench G nearing completion – a sterling effort!
Exposed natural surface.
Metal detectorist in action.
Pottery sherd.
Pottery sherd.
Rifle shell.

Photos Sidney Jeffery & James Sainsbury.

Day 11 – 29 July 2025

Grave cut in chalk.
Grave cut with mat at bottom.
Grave with recess cut in chalk.
Group digging small trench.
Group working under gazebo.
Martyn scraping in trench.
Shorter grave cut.
Detail with trowel.
Tents under the trees.
Trench corner details.
Trench corner with features.
Trench detail.
Trench H poster.
Trench oblique view with features.
Trench over mound.
Trench side view with features.
Trench through ditch.
View with approaching rain.
A tiny 4th century Roman coin.
Charles I rose farthing.
Excavating trench G Roman ditch.
Planning a feature in trench H.
The Roman ditch in trench F emerges.
Trench G looking stunning.
Alex examining the spoil heap.
Alex in conversation with visitors.
Corner detail of trench.
Covered dig in centre of fort.
Flag at entrance to site.
Gazebo in corner of site.

Photos James Sainsbury & Sidney Jeffery.

Day 12 – 30 July 2025

Recording details of trench.
Recording details of trench.
Small grave cuts.
Small grave cuts covered.
View of rampart.
View of the site.
A good turnout of visitors.
Discussing a feature.
Ed brushing the natural.
Long trench with diggers.

Photos Sidney Jeffery & James Sainsbury.

Day 13 – 31 July 2025

The grave cut, covered before lifting, yesterday evening.
The team hiding from the rain this afternoon!
W.A.S Chair Keith Bolton, Hayley and James this morning – thank you Hayley!
The Big Dig HQ at dusk.
Chloe has made the museum a crochet Highdown Goblet – thank you!
A lovely piece of work by one of the children on our final workshop – ‘the Saxons are awesome – so are the Romans!’ – we agree
Theresa’s plan of the inhumation in Trench H.