CENTURIES old relics were found on an archaeological dig in a nearby Worcestershire village.

92 people attended the dig in Wichenford, last weekend hosted by Worcestershire Archive & Archaeology Service and the county’s archaeological society.

Members of the community and members of Worcestershire Young Archaeologists’ Club ) and North Worcestershire Archaeology Group helped excavate 20 ‘test pits’ across the scattered settlement of Wichenford, in order to answer questions about the village's origins and development over time.

Wichenford, just north of Worcester, is one of six medieval settlements being explored as part of a community archaeology project which is being held across the county called Small Pits, Big Ideas.

Findings are still becoming clear but so far two 18th century counterfeit coins have been found, along with a clay pipe containing a maker’s mark and lots of pottery from the 17th century onwards.

Worcester News: Wichenford test pit excavations in progress. Picture Credit: Julie Clarke.Wichenford test pit excavations in progress. Picture Credit: Julie Clarke.

Heather Rendall, Chair of the Wichenford Local Heritage Group, who co-organised Wichenford’s Big Dig said: “What we are hoping, when all the many, many finds have been washed, sorted and analysed, is to find items that we can specifically place to a particular moment in that recorded history, maybe even to a certain name.

"This is looking likely as two coins from the Georgian era were found on adjacent sites, both of which were farmed by Thomas Bennet (George II) or William Best (George III).

Once the dates are read from the coins, we will know who lost them. The parish’s recorded history dates from the 8th century and, because it was fortunately owned by the Bishop of Worcester, there are abundant records in the county’s archives held at The Hive.

"Early results are varied.  Some pits produced masses of mixed items from 21st century objects to 18th century slipware pottery all in a single layer, while other test pits were surprisingly shallow.

"We still have to process the lower layers which will or should contain earlier material, however one site has excelled in already producing a 13th-14th century piece of pottery which may go to proving that this particular site was inhabited for well over 600 years.”

The results of all six excavations will be shared in a combined exhibition, which will tour Worcester, Kidderminster and Redditch in early 2023.