Festival of Archaeology dig at Woolsthorpe
- Published:
- 26 June 2025
We're joining up with the team from York Archaeology this summer for an exciting excavation of Woolsthorpe's neighbouring Beeson Close Field where we hope to find Sir Isaac Newton's mother's house. 18th century drawings by JC Barrow depict it in this location and recent surveys by South Witham Archaeology Group (SWAG) and the University of Leicester have unearthed more evidence to justify a proper dig. Families are being invited to get involved with a weekend of activities and found treasures can be brought to a Finds Roadshow.
Family Friendly Digs
Calling all junior explorers and history detectives! Archaeology isn’t just for grown-ups — it’s for the whole family to dive into together! Join us and York Archaeology this summer holiday at Woolsthorpe Manor’s Beeson Close Field for a hands-on adventure where you can dig deep, discover secrets, and uncover the story of Isaac Newton’s mother’s house!
Get your hands dirty in our exciting trenches, help wash and clean real ancient finds and put your detective skills to the test with our fun artefact identification quiz. Who knows what treasures you’ll find?
Our family-friendly digs are on Saturday 19 July with an autism-friendly dig on Sunday 20 July. Both events have limited spaces so must be pre-booked on our Events page.
If you are interested in the autism-friendly event and want to know more about the site, you can find a map further down this page which shows you how the site is laid out, highlighting noisy, crowded and quieter spaces. Please feel free to reach out to us with any questions by emailing woolsthorpemanor@nationaltrust.org.uk or calling 01476 860338. You can also find out more about access on site on our Accessibility page.
Finds Roadshow
There’ll be a chance for members of the public to share finds they’ve uncovered during their own excavations, metal detecting or even things unearthed while gardening, as archaeologists from York University will be on hand with a Finds Roadshow on Saturday 26 July. They’ll help to determine the age and story of objects in this drop-in session running all day, from 10am to 4pm, with a short break for lunch.
Visiting the dig
Visitors to Woolsthorpe are welcome to come and see the site throughout the rest of the dig but are reminded that parking on-site is very limited. Daily updates will be posted on Woolsthorpe and York Archaeology’s Facebook pages so that people can follow the dig’s progress without needing to come along.
Woolsthorpe Manor Festival of Archaeology Site Map
Woolsthorpe Manor Festival of Archaeology Site Map