MORE than 2,929 finds, including Roman artefacts and evidence of 16th century life, were unearthed during a major excavation of land on a Chester estate.

Residents aged from five to 85 worked alongside archaeologists for the month-long dig on land, school playgrounds and gardens in Blacon – land which experts say was previously home to a 1640s hall, known as Blacon Hall.

Residents rolled up their sleeves and recovered foundation walls, drainage systems and pottery on land currently home to St Theresa’s Primary School, known to be the home of Blacon Hall.

Reports state Blacon – previously known as Blakon Hill – was inhabited at the time of Domesday (AD 1086), as it is mentioned in this famous historical document. It notes that the inhabitants were involved in farming and fishing and that it had risen in value since the Norman Conquest in 1066 from 14 shillings to 40 shillings.

Blacon is also located within just two miles of Chester’s famous Roman city.

Although unable to confirm the exact nature of the finds, project managers from Big Heritage who conducted the dig have sent away all 2,929 of the artefacts for analysis and are excitedly awaiting the outcome.

A number of coins, and pottery pieces, the exact date of which has yet to be confirmed, are among the treasured items which up to 400 school children and hundreds of volunteers have dealt with.

Together with children from the Arches Community and St Theresa’s Primary schools, more than 100 volunteers helped to carry out a geophysical X-ray style surveys of the field off Kipling Road, just yards from where the 1640s medieval manor house, pulled down during the Civil War in the 1640s, once stood.

Big Heritage project manager Joanne Kirton said 90 per cent of excavation activity was carried out in the north of Blacon, but said a medieval manor house was known to be underneath the current Dee Point Primary School in the south of Blacon.

For the excavation, supported by Cheshire West and Chester Council, a total of 20 test pits, including some residents gardens, were tested, during which nine tonnes of soil was moved, sieved and backfilled by hand.

The operation, undertaken throughout September-October, unearthed substantially more finds than organisers had expected, and proved an overall big success added Joanne.

“The dig in Blacon was very successful and those involved managed to unearth many interesting finds which have been sent away for analysis.

“We had over a thousand finds from many different time periods,” she declared.

Organisers also held number of training sessions, exploring the different types of finds from the dig and explaing what they can tell us about life in Blacon in the past.

More than 100 volunteers from the community were actively involved in the dig, with an overall 1,466 hours of community volunteer time given.

Organisers were keen to involve all aspects of the community, of all ages and capabilities.

Further details of the finds are expected to be released in the next three weeks.