Archaeology

Before HS2, Birmingham’s 19th century station at Curzon Street was one of the earliest railway stations, as well as the world’s oldest railway roundhouse. The limited later development of the site means that any surviving remains of the early station represents a unique opportunity to investigate a major early railway terminus in its entirety.

Archaeologists working on the HS2 project in Euston discovered the remains of Captain Matthew Flinders. The Royal Navy explorer led the first circumnavigation of Australia and is credited with giving the country its name.

Excavations on the HS2 site at Coleshill in Warwickshire have revealed one of the best preserved late 16th century gardens ever discovered in this country. Additionally, the remains of Coleshill Manor and a moat were picked up by aerial photography.

During excavation work in Stoke Mandeville, our archaeologists have found the remains of a Norman church with some other unusual discoveries. A wealth of incredible finds have been discovered, including a set of incredible rare Roman statues.

Archaeologists working on HS2 have made discoveries of national significance, uncovering an Anglo-Saxon burial site in Wendover, Buckinghamshire. Almost three quarters of the graves contained high quality grave goods, suggesting the site was the final resting place of a wealthy Anglo-Saxon community.

A team of archaeologists have ben excavating a wealthy Roman trading town near a small village in South Northamptonshire. The presence of such a significant archaeological site in the area has been known since the 18^th century, and initial survey and analysis by HS2 gave some indication of what could be discovered there. However, the scale and quality of the discoveries on site have surpassed expectations.

Archaeologists working in West London on the HS2 project have uncovered a fascinating rare set of Iron Age potins, an early version of the coin, dating back to the 1st century BC. The hoard of over 300 potins is a significant historical find, and was discovered in Hillingdon in 2020. The find may be recognized as “treasure” under British Law.

The archaeological works have revealed a wealth of archaeology with evidence of human activity dating from the Neolithic. The land to the west of Wendover seems to have been persistently used for ceremonial activity as archaeologists also uncovered a large circular monument of wooden posts 65 metres in diameter with features aligned with the Winter Solstice, similar to Stonehenge in Wiltshire.