Ampleforth Big Dig with Ryevitalise

The River Rye was once a lifeblood for communities, providing clean water, power, and abundant wildlife. As connections to the river are gradually being lost, the Ryevitalise Landscape Partnership the set out to reconnect residents with the history, wildlife, and landscapes of the River Rye and its tributaries.

In 2023, DigVentures partnered with Ryevitalise to help one rural community restore connections through a collective effort to investigate the place they call home.

Working closely with Ampleforth – a village of 1,200 adults and children – we launched Ampleforth Big Dig; four days in which the village was transformed into an active archaeological site and where schools, neighbours, and archaeologists came together to dig for evidence across gardens, playgrounds, and public spaces.

What stories lie buried beneath Ampleforth? Do medieval streets survive below the modern village? Can traces of its prehistoric origins be found? And could collective discovery help Ampleforth reconnect? We led a village-wide effort to find out.

Ampleforth – a rural community of 1,200 residents – is best known for Ampleforth Abbey, founded in 1802. But its history stretches back much further than that. Making its first appearance in the Domesday Book in the 11th century, a vibrant medieval settlement grew around St Hilda’s Church in the 12th century. Since then, Ampleforth has been home to generations of people who have all left their mark – from medieval streets and 19th century blacksmiths, to the village’s continued expansion into the present day.

But despite this rich history, there had been little archaeological research, leaving significant gaps in knowledge. Key questions remained about prehistoric settlement in the area, the location and nature of the medieval village, its relationship with the River Rye, and how much of it survives beneath Ampleforth today.

From a community perspective, there was a pressing need to strengthen local connections, with many residents unaware of their village’s deep history, and few opportunities for hands-on engagement. As well as attempting to answer key questions about the origins and evolution of the village, our challenge was to develop an inclusive project that would appeal to people of all ages and abilities, and could reconnect residents through the collective exploration of the place they call home.

Ampleforth Big Dig combined archaeological research with broad community participation. The centrepiece was a four-day event, which transformed the village into an active archaeological site where residents and school children could dig alongside archaeologists in gardens, playgrounds, and public spaces.

Starting with desk-based research, we explored historical maps, documents, and previous findings to identify promising areas for investigation. We then launched a village-wide communications campaign and held a series of public events, generating widespread interest and inspiring families and neighbours to be part of Ampleforth Big Dig. To ensure everyone could participate meaningfully, we created multiple ways to engage:

• People could host a test pit in their garden, or join a dig team with neighbours in public spaces
• Training sessions, a family-friendly ‘Dig Pack’, and on-the-day support from Community Archaeologists ensured everyone was ready to take part, covering key skills like artefact handling, cleaning, and recording
• A central Finds Room ensured all residents had a chance to see discoveries, or get hands-on experience with archaeological materials without digging
• Schools dug test pits in their playgrounds, combining education with discovery
• Talks and public events ensured discoveries were shared with the rest of the village
• Commemorative booklets were distributed among the residents and in public venues

The Ampleforth Big Dig was a true community effort, reconnecting local residents through a collective effort to uncover new insights about the place they call home:

• Residents joined together to excavate more than 20 test pits across the village
• Three schools dug test pits in their playgrounds, getting hands-on with history
• 92% of participants reported feeling more connected to their community through the project
• 59% had never taken part in any history or archaeology activities before
• A lasting interest in local heritage was generated, with many participants expressing desire for future projects

Beyond the numbers, the dig sparked conversations, curiosity, and a new and renewed appreciation for the village’s history. The project also helped to highlight the importance of archaeology in rural communities, showing that fascinating discoveries aren’t just found in famous sites – they’re buried right beneath our feet!

It also established a model for future community-based heritage projects in similar villages, and shows how community archaeology can produce valuable new insights while bridging the gap between people and landscapes.