East Oxford - one history or many?

A major new archaeology project, starting in early October 2010, will uncover the rich history of the eastern districts of Oxford City.

The three-year community archaeology project will explore the large and diverse area to the east of Oxford city centre. East Oxford has a rich history which includes a major pottery industry site from Roman times, traces of Iron Age, Roman and Viking settlements, a medieval leper hospital still with its original chapel and Civil War siege works, in addition to its more modern industrial heritage.

The wide-ranging project has been made possible by a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) and a grant from the University of Oxford's John Fell Fund. The project will start in early October 2010.

Local history societies, community organisations and individual volunteers will be involved in hands-on investigation of the local landscape, recording discoveries, and presenting interpretations of the results. The Department for Continuing Education will run the project, working with other University departments, schools and museums in Oxford.

The information uncovered by the project will cast new light on the development of the city and provide valuable data for future planning and development. The project website will be expanded to help detail the progress of the project and provide a lasting record of the discoveries.

'East Oxford is a fascinating area with rich and varied archaeological potential, which offers untapped opportunities for new investigations,' said David Griffiths, Course Director of the MSc in Applied Landscape Archaeology and project director on the East Oxford Archaeology & History Project. 'We have been amazed at the level of interest amongst the local community in the project, which suggests there will be no shortage of people wanting to take part when we launch the project in October.'

Information about the East Oxford Archaeology & History Project may be found at www.archeox.net.

Published 18 May 2010