Local community takes part in archaeological dig at Chesterfield Canal
Over 500 people from the local community joined the Chesterfield Canal Trust and a number of archaeologists to take part in the Last Cuckoo Project.
At the beginning of the year it was reported that the Chesterfield Canal Trust acquired funding from the Aviva Community Trust of £10,000 for the Last Cuckoo Project – an archaeological dig at Staveley – where it is believed that at least one Cuckoo boat, unique to the canal, could be found.
The dig, which took place over two weeks in August, unearthed a variety of material including pottery and bottles and – as expected – three boats, one which has been reported as almost certainly a Cuckoo.
The dig has received enormous community support. The funding for the project was made possible by the project gaining 9,500 votes in a public vote. The public support continued with over 500 places on the dig being snapped up by members of the community – including a number of local children.
To celebrate the findings, the Trust organised an open day, which was also well attended with over 300 people being given a guided tour of the trenches and the teams findings. The dig also gained regional coverage with a feature on BBC Look North.
As the project was an archaelogical dig and not a restoration project the findings where reburied. However the Canal Trust will be working hard to ensure that the findings are remembered.
Rod Auton, a representative from the Chesterfield Canal Trust, said:-
“There was never any possibility of lifting an incredibly fragile 70’ boat, then storing and preserving it, so everything was reburied at the end of the dig. When the restoration of the Canal reaches a certain point, they will be dug up again because there will be moorings on the site.
“However, part of the grant has been reserved to create an information board on the site, so that the whole event will be remembered in the time being.”
The Trust wishes to pay particular thanks to Mark Walker for his months of planning on the project, Elmet Archaeological Services – led by Christine Rawson – who had vast experience of community archaeology, T.C. Harrison/JCB who lent the Trust a mini-digger for the whole fortnight and Henry and Lorraine Day who allowed the Trust to use their field for camping, car parking and accommodation facilities.
