Manydown has been farmland for as long as anyone in Basingstoke can remember, but the archaeological investigations that have taken place since 2021 have helped us to better understand previous inhabitants and uses of the land.
At the end of the summer term, we had the chance to share this story with a class of year 4 children from Chiltern Primary School, allowing them to step back in time with a visit from one of the team of archaeologists working at Manydown.
The pupils got to handle examples of the artefacts that have been unearthed. They also asked questions about what it may have been like to live on Manydown and discussed the history of Basingstoke and the surrounding areas, including Fort Hill, Winchester, Silchester, and even as far afield as Stonehenge. There was quite a lot of interest in which foods were brought to England by the Romans, how the Gods of the past had influenced the days of the week, and how small people were in the past.
A class teacher from Chiltern Primary School said: “The children loved the whole experience; it was amazing for them to understand the history of the land so close to their homes. The whole class really enjoyed handling the artefacts and getting to quiz Henry on all of his knowledge!”
And it’s not just children who want to know more about what we have found. At the start of August, 25 members of the Basingstoke Archaeological and Historical Society came to meet Oxford Archaeology on site to learn more about the archaeological work taking place, and what it has already told us about Manydown’s history.
We are planning a community event to share this information with the wider community in the early Autumn. Please sign up to our mailing list to find out more.
