The Big Dig Celebration

The Big Dig 2026

Between 13th - 19th July, we undertook an excavation, supported by a team of expert archaeologists, to uncover another piece of the lost history buried beneath the surface of Tregonning Hill, west Cornwall.

We explored two sites:

1. Londonderry: 2 miners dwellings that were no longer on the map in the late 1800s. Searching for the footings of the second property and the possibility of a water wheel and channels linking to Tregonning Hill.

1. The Croft site: the feature is a shallow trench that runs roughly East to West, through an area that is the last remnant of Herland Croft, which stretched from the base of Tregonning Hill to the village of Godolphin. This area was streamed for tin until the late 1700s. The trench is shown on the Godolphin Estate map of 1786 and possibly carried water from a reservoir on the foot of Tregonning Hill to the stream works.

Over 100 people of all ages came together, from complete novices to the more experienced hands seen at almost every dig in Cornwall! Everyone got involved with digging, cleaning and cataloging finds, documentation. They tried their hands at experimental archaeology, playing with materials and techniques used in the post medieval period, and even had the chance to become sonic archaeologists, transforming the energy of unearthed objects into sound. Head to the L-shaped Barn to listen and have a go yourself.

The Celebration Day, 26th July 11am-4pm at National Trust Godolphin

Godolphin Cross Community Association, National Trust Godolphin and Cornwall Heritage Trust have put their heads together to come up with a day to celebrate archaeology, local heritage and traditional crafts, inspired by The Big Dig 2026. With free entry to the site, it’s a chance for all the family to come down and explore Godolphin House and its fascinating outbuildings, and get a taste of the dig itself.

Take part in weaving, make cordage, paint with pigments, or even play with time streaming and biosonification.