The lost medieval village of Sudeley

DigVentures is crowdfunding a dig to find a long-lost medieval village on the grounds of Sudeley Castle. Help make the dig happen – alongside our archaeologists!

There are lost, deserted, and abandoned medieval villages scattered all over Britain. What happened? And where did all the people go? Each village has its own unique story to tell, and Sudeley’s is just waiting to be told.

Recorded in the Domesday Book, and occupied for 400 years, the settlement included 40 households, making it one of the largest in the region. But in the 15th century, the settlement vanished.

Since then, the original location of this ruined village has never been rediscovered. The story of who lived there and what happened to them has been lost.

But now, new evidence from LiDAR imagery has revealed the village’s possible location, including ghostly imprints of a row of medieval housing plots.

To find out if this could be the lost medieval village of Sudeley, we’re crowdfunding a two-week dig to investigate these ruins. What new secrets will they reveal? And can we finally locate the missing village of Sudeley?

Help us reach our goal and you’ll have the opportunity to take part in the dig alongside our archaeologists and to see the results online.

Our dig site sits within the grounds of Sudeley Castle, nestled in the beautiful Cotswolds. Today, it’s best known as one of the Tudors’ most beloved palaces. It’s where Anne Boleyn stayed with Henry VIII while he made his decision to dissolve the monasteries, and where Katherine Parr, Henry’s last wife, later lived after he died. It’s also where Elizabeth I came to celebrate the fourth anniversary of her victory over the Spanish Armada.

But even though this place is so rich in history, there are still untold stories and long-lost ruins buried in the castle grounds.

What was here before the construction of the castle began in 1443? Who lived here? And how were their lives impacted by this new development?

In 2024, we began a mission to dig deeper back into the castle’s history, and to unearth evidence of the medieval village it may have been built on.

Sudeley was a settlement recorded in the Domesday Book in 1086 with a ‘population of 40 households, including 18 villagers, 8 smallholders, 7 slaves, and 7 female slaves’. Owned by Harold son of Lord Ralph, it also had 4 lord’s plough teams, and 13 men’s plough teams, making it one of the largest in the area.

But today, this settlement no longer exists. There is no modern town of Sudeley, no record of where it was located, or why it disappeared.

Was it cleared to make way for the castle, whose construction began in 1443? Can its location be rediscovered? And will we be able to find out what happened to the people who lived here?

An investigation begun by Gloucestershire County History Trust and the Victoria County History project for Gloucestershire pointed towards its possible location. Along the route of an old pilgrim’s way, LiDAR images have revealed what looks like several medieval housing plots. Our goal is to find out whether these could be remnants of our long-lost village.

With the help of our crowdfunders in 2024, we set out to explore the site and establish what exactly might survive below the ground.

Almost immediately, the ruins of a medieval building began to emerge, but it quickly became clear that this was no ordinary medieval building. On one side, the walls were straight, but on the other, they formed a semi-circle.

Among its remains were traces of medieval life, including medieval jugs, bowls, dishes, and even the scraps of discarded medieval meals.

It’s clear that there was plenty of medieval activity here, but what was this building for? What can we find out about the buildings that surround it? And can we figure out how they might relate to the lost medieval village of Sudeley?

Imagine exploring a deserted medieval village. You wander down an ancient hollow way, pass a deserted fishpond, and step into an abandoned house. Inside, you find all sorts of clues about medieval village life. But where, oh where, did everyone go?

This year, we’ll expand our area of investigation and attempt to map the layout of this unusual medieval building, along with some of the other buildings that appear to surround it.

Our goal will be to find evidence that can help us understand how each building was used, and whether they might represent the lost medieval village of Sudeley.

Whether it’s personal artefacts, the footprints of more buildings, charred seeds or plant remains, animal bones, or the stratigraphic layers that can unlock the sequence and chronology of events, we’ll be looking for archaeological evidence that can determine the age of the remains, and add to the story.

The evidence from this site may help locate the missing village of Sudeley, and our findings can contribute to the research on the history of Winchcombe and the surrounding area being conducted by the Gloucestershire County History Trust and the Victoria County History project for Gloucestershire.

Archaeology doesn’t just have to be about watching documentaries on TV, visiting museums, or reading things in the news. It can also be about getting involved and helping to unearth the stories that matter to you.

Across the UK, there are hundreds of archaeological sites with incredible stories to tell, but just haven’t got the attention they deserve.

At the same time, there are thousands of people like you who love history, archaeology, and know that their stories are just too important to ignore.

With guidance from our top team of archaeologists, and with your interest and involvement, we know that together we can uncover stories that really matter – to local communities, and to people like you across the country and the rest of the world.

We believe that this site at Sudeley Castle is one of those places: a site whose story deserves to be shared with medieval history fans across the country, as well as local residents, school children, and all the people who visit Sudeley every year.

But that can only happen if you get involved.

Whether you love history, this landscape, or just want to help unearth the past, you can:

• Join us on the dig
• Join us in the Finds Room
• Meet the archaeologists on site
• Support the dig from a distance

However you choose to get involved, we make sure that all of the results and discoveries from the dig are freely available to examine online, and that through our work and collaboration with other experts in the field, they can make a real contribution to what we know about medieval Gloucestershire.

And by taking part, you can too.

Join us on the dig and we’ll teach you all the essential skills that field archaeologists use: how to spot new archaeological features, how to excavate them, how to identify artefacts, and how to record what you find.

The archaeology you do will be real, hands-on, and just a little bit dirty. And your search for evidence will be guided by our friendly team of archaeologists every step of the way!

You’ll be part of our team from the moment you arrive, and the longer you stay, the more you’ll learn. Starting with the basics of how archaeologists locate which areas to dig through a process known as ‘cleaning’, you’ll soon progress through a range of different skills and more complex excavation challenges – from investigating features and lifting artefacts, to recording and interpreting your discoveries like a pro.

Most importantly, you’ll walk away having gained real archaeological experience – and having had fun while you’re at it!

Archaeology isn’t just about digging! Join us on the Finds Team, and you’ll be part of the team that handles and cares for everything we find on the dig.

You’ll learn how to clean and prepare artefacts ahead of conservation; how to handle different materials, including bone, metal, and pottery; how to sort, identify, and analyse collections; and even how to draw, photograph, and record them.

The artefacts you handle will be fresh from the ground, and you’ll be helping to unlock their stories – and the secrets they hold – as they come out of the trenches.

It’s the ideal place to be for those of us who love examining things up close!

Your support is just as important as the people who join us onsite – it helps us carry out more in-depth analysis of our discoveries.

From radiocarbon dates to examination by specialists, making sense of what we’ve found requires lots of detailed work over the winter months.

Plus, it all needs to be conserved – and this is where your contribution really counts.

To show our appreciation, we’ll invite you to a livestream where you can meet our archaeologists during the dig, send you live updates whenever we make an exciting discovery, and acknowledge you as an official contributor in our Dig Report. We’ll even send you a digital copy – with your name in the credits!

The search is on to find the lost medieval village of Sudeley!

If you love medieval history, adore Gloucestershire, or just want to try something new, you can help us explore the village and unearth fascinating new clues about the people who lived here.

Pledge your support to help make the dig happen and have the amazing opportunity to take part in the dig itself – online, or alongside our team in Gloucestershire.