CHRISTMAS GREETINGS FROM SHAHT

We have had our final volunteering session for this year and will re-open on Monday 9^th January 2023.

It’s amazing how our work carries on with the photography of the Finds currently from Site 23 (19 – 31 High Street Bagshot) and the vast number of slides from a variety of sites we have being digitised.

The work continues on Site 19 (Windlesham Arboretum) with both Martin Millett and Sarah Paynter making great progress on the Roman Pottery and Iron Slag for a report we hope to have published in 2023.

Surrey Archaeological Society are also in the process of writing a report on what was ‘Jack’s Fish and Chip’ shop in Bagshot.

Both YAC and U3A had their last meetings for this year: YAC toasting marshmallows and re-enacting customs of the Vikings, whilst U3A had a talk today from a metal detectorist.  

I hope you have a good Christmas break and New Year.

Heritage Day September 10th 2022

Read our latest newsletter to discover what we’ve been up to over the Summer Months

shaht-newsletter-september-2022Download

Surrey Heath Mayor visits SHAHT

The Mayor of Surrey Heath, Cllr Sarah Jane Croke,  visited the Surrey Heath Archaeological and Heritage Trust (SHAHT) recently to see for herself the archaeological artefacts stored at the Archaeology Centre in Bagshot and to hear first-hand from the volunteers about the work they do.

A view from the Police Cells

The Mayor had a tour of the Centre, formerly the Bagshot Police Station on the London Road, where she was able to view the Police Cells: The Gallery, where important exhibits are kept: the Finds boxes, where the archaeology of Surry Heath is stored and the volunteers at work currently  photographing samples of Roman Pot from a dig that took place over twenty years ago.

The Mayor identifying pieces of pottery found from a dig at The Kings Arms in Bagshot

Whilst SHAHT are no longer engaged in any digs, they are the custodians of the archaeology, which is held at the Centre and to this day are still classifying and cataloguing the many finds, digitising the records and photographing the finds which residents of Surrey Heath and beyond are able to access and study.

The local U3A archaeology group and a branch of the Young Archaeology Club also meet at the Centre regularly.

The building is being leased from Surrey County Council; however, the premises is becoming increasingly difficult to maintain and SHAHT are desperately in  need of finding something more suitable to their needs and size and to safeguard the archaeology and heritage of Surrey Heath for the future. 

Volunteers all set up to photograph Finds from a previous dig

New Updates and Newsletter

It’s good to be back with our latest updates, we reopened a few months ago having been closed for what seems such a long time. Our volunteers are working hard cataloguing our finds from previous archaeological digs.

Read our latest Newsletter to see what we have been up to.

shaht-newsletter-september-2021-1Download

A selection of rims from Site 19 currently one of many Contexts being photographed.

LATEST NEWS AND INFORMATION: July 2020

Whilst the Archaeology Centre is currently closed, we continue to work behind the scenes at home and at the Centre.

We are unable to welcome volunteers back to the centre, we are however working on future plans and will keep you updated.

Over the last few months during Lockdown work has continued on sorting and tidying up all our data and information we hold into more accessible folders for all of the Sites so that hopefully , in the not too distant future, we can start putting some of the sites here for everyone to access.

The data from Site 17 – The Three Mariners – is being amalgamated,  all the Excel files on CBM, Metal, Bone . The size of these paled into insignificance to the Excel folder on Pottery. Having amalgamated all the files, checked for duplicates and ordered, there are now over 5000 entries,  which I am reliably informed contain over 20,000 sherds of Pot!

Having taken a deep breath, I am now embarking on Glass, not quite as extensive, but still a good amount.

We have also been gardening regularly, keeping the front and back area of the house and car parks in good order – no mean feat. Take a look at the pictures on the next page.

The front car park and hedge

This flower bed is looking colourful this year

This is part of an early report From Site 17 (The Three Mariners), it gives a glimpse into how important this site is.

Latest News: January 2020

Happy New Year from all at SHAHT.

Life at The Centre continues to see volunteers come along weekly to help in a variety of archaeological tasks, including catagorising our unique Pipe Collection so the data can be uploaded on our site with illustrations and special notes. This is still an ongoing project.

Photographing our Finds: A brand new project was started more recently where we have begun the mammoth task of photographing our Finds.A photography expert gave us a session in how to set up a photography station and camera techniques; a volunteer build some white boxes and with some trial and error we made a start on one of our sites: The Finds previously excavated from our own back garden. Items included police badges, pottery and plenty of other items.

The White Box being used for photographs

Finds waiting to be photographed

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Bottle found in the back garden of the old Police Station

1. The White Box being used for photographs
2. Items read to be photographed
3. Toy car found in the back garden
4. A bottle found in the back garden

These are just a few of our many items.

FINALLY: My New Year’s Resolution -to update this site much more often!

 

 

 

LATEST NEWS AND UPDATES: MAY 2019

Volunteers have been recently working on a variety of tasks. We are, at last, trying to update our computer data entries and have been taking all stored records from our floppy discs – yes we still have some – and we still have computers that can use them! The data is now on memory sticks and laptops. Other volunteers have been collating the data for our prestigious pipe collection, ensuring the pipes can then be viewed from the collection.

Other volunteers are collating all the paper work, maps and plans and some volunteers are creating Harris Matrix from Site 38: 42 London Road, to show where all the finds were excavated from the site. This site is of archaeological importance and there are plans to build a complex of retirement homes on the site.
(Find plans by visiting Surrey Heath Planning site: 18/1083)

Read our latest newsletter where there is an article on one of our volunteers who sadly died recently.
SHAHT Newsletter May 2019

FEBRUARY UPDATES AND NEWSLETTER

Read our latest newsletter and find out more about the future for the site known as Jack’s Fish and Chip Shop.

We will be publishing a variety of reports and archaeological data over the coming months from the dig carried out in the 1990’s.

SHAHT Newsletter Feb 19

2019 membership forms can be found in the newsletter for anyone wishing to become a member of SHAHT.

WINTER OPENING TIMES

Now winter is almost upon us we are changing our opening times as from Monday 19th November.

MONDAYS: 2.00 pm – 4.00 pm.
U3A meetings continue to be held the 2nd Monday of the month.
(Next U3A meeting is 10.12.18)

*TUESDAYS: 2.00 pm – 3.30 pm *
This new time replaces the Tuesday evening sessions over the winter months.

Christmas holiday: Monday 17th December to 13th January 2019 (inclusive) the centre will be closed

January 2019: Opening times
Monday 14th January, U3A’s first meeting of the year.
Monday 21st January: 2.00 pm – 4.00 pm
Tuesday 22nd: 2.00 pm – 3.30 pm

APRIL NEWSLETTER

Read our latest news and see some wonderful photos of items we were recently cataloguing. We hope to be displaying some of our items in a local exhibition in the near future. More information soon.

SHAHT newsletter April 2018

Here’s one of the items from the Newsletter to whet your appetite

Venetian Wine Glass Stems

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