Leicestershire & Rutland Festival of Archaeology

The Leicestershire and Rutland Festival of Archaeology is back for another year bringing with it a fantastic journey of discovery and celebration of the rich and fascinating heritage of Leicestershire & Rutland.

You can explore the archaeology of your local area, watch experts at work and experience the excitement of archaeology with events you can actually participate in.

It’s the UK’s biggest archaeology festival with over 80 events planned over four weeks and promises to be a bigger and better event than ever before. There is something for everyone with family friendly activities at museums, guided walks of historic sites, expert talks, displays, exhibitions and chances to get your hands dirty with a bit of excavation. To give you a taste of what’s in store, here are just some of the events taking place across Leicestershire and Rutland.

This year the festival runs for four weeks from Saturday 29th June to Sunday 28th July and kicks off with the Bradgate Park Excavation Open Day and Festival launch. Visit the University of Leicester excavations at Bradgate House where there will be guided tours of excavations at Bradgate House throughout the day along with many other activities for all the family, including demonstrations, exhibitors, bookstall and even archaeological material to handle.

Experience a Walkabout in Stephenson’s Glenfield Tunnel which was built in 1832 as part of the Leicester & Swannington Railway but then closed in 1966. You can walk 400 yards into the Glenfield tunnel accompanied by an experienced guide. It’s a FREE event, but don’t forget to book!

Have you ever wondered what happens to the artefacts found on excavations once the digging is complete? Take a behind the scenes tour of the ULAS Archaeology Finds Lab Tours which is a FREE event, but booking is essential as tours can book very quickly. Take a behind-the-scenes tour of the ULAS finds and environmental laboratories at the University of Leicester on Thursday 11th and 18th July.

Join in a creative family day at the Easy Saturday: Roman Leicester Special event taking place on Saturday 13 July from 12-4pm but with a Roman twist. You can learn about Roman crafts, hunt for buried artefacts and even rebuild Leicester in Minecraft. Now that’s something kids will absolutely love. The event is in partnership with the University of Leicester and takes place at the LCB Depot on Rutland Street.

Imagine handling 3,000 year old artefacts from Ancient Egypt? Well now you can at the Ancient Egyptian Artefact Handing taking place at New Walk Museum & Art Gallery. Don’t forget to book as spaces are limited to 15 children per session.

Leicestershire is well known for being a Roman settlement so come and discover the Roman History and a chance to see objects from the site’s important Roman temple, as well as talks, crafts for kids and a chance to meet Boudica and members of the Roman Army. Discover the Romans at Bosworth takes place Saturday 20th & Sunday 21st July from 10.30-4pm.

Download the Festival of Archaeology brochure for full details. 

Remember to check for any new events as the programme is subject to change.