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COUNTY ANTRIM
Festival of Archaeology Launch
Divis and the Black Mountain, near Belfast
19 July
Based across two sites – Divis Mountain and the Community Centre at Hannahstown – this free, fun-filled family day marks the launch of this year’s CBA Festival of Archaeology with a host of archaeology-themed activities for all ages. Set in spectacular scenery and held in collaboration with the National Trust, discover the amazing history of this area, from prehistory to its important role in founding the Ordnance Survey 200 years ago.
CARMARTHENSHIRE
Festival of Archaeology at Dolaucothi
Pumsaint Community Field
2 & 3 August
Discover a Roman living history encampment and watch demonstrations on the site of the Roman fort in Pumsaint. Two thousand years after the departure of the Romans from Dolaucothi, NT Dolaucothi and Legio VIII Augusta MGV Roman Living History Society will bring the distant past to boisterous life with this fascinating insight into Roman lives and times.
RHONDDA CYNON TAF
Archaeology and wellbeing at the Heritage Park
Rhondda Heritage Park, Trehafod
23 July
Visitors to this event will be able to try VR headsets, learn about what food people used to grow and plant something up to take home, and find out how crafting can benefit wellbeing and goes hand-in-hand with archaeology. Tickets (free for adults, £3 for children) are available from http://www.rctcbc.gov.uk/EN/Events.
LONDON
Æthel’s Town: Saxon encampment and re-enactment
Canbury Gardens, Kingston upon Thames
26 & 27 July
Æthel’s Town is a free two-day event for all the family, offering the opportunity to immerse yourself in all things Saxon. It is part of Kingston 2025, a borough-wide celebration of the 1,100th anniversary of King Æthelstan being crowned in Kingston in 925.
CUMBRIA
Ambleside Roman Fort Open Day 2025
Ambleside
3 August
Get hands-on at Ambleside Roman Fort on a special open day that will include stalls, walks and talks, demonstrations, re-enactments, and Roman-themed activities. Held in partnership by the Armitt and the National Trust, and connected with the Armitt’s 2025 exhibition A Battle of Ambleside, this event will be hosted at the fort, focusing on what may have been happening at the site during its lifetime.
BERKSHIRE
Seeing the Past through Different Eyes
Shaw House, Newbury
24 July
Join archaeologist, author, and educator Julian Richards as he explores the ways in which archaeologists tell stories – the ultimate aim of exploring the past. Julian’s talk will also draw on his experience of working with blind adults and children with additional educational needs, explaining how individual challenges can help develop different ways of seeing the past. Tickets cost £5 per person.
CORNWALL
Yeghes!
University of Exeter, Penryn Campus
6 July
Based at the Daphne du Maurier Building and adjacent Exchange Courtyard, this free day of activities will explore wellbeing in archaeology with heritage stalls hosting local archaeology groups, Cornish music and dancing, and live workshops and demonstrations.
ESSEX
Colchester Archaeological Trust Open Day
Roman Circus House, Colchester
2 August
The Colchester Archaeological Trust invites you to join their open day, offering activities to suit all ages and abilities, including testing your finds skills, arts and crafts, and a sandpit dig. This year’s archaeology is linked to the charity Mind’s ‘5 ways to wellbeing’.
KENT
East Wear Bay Archaeological Project End of Season Open Day
East Cliff, Folkestone
26 July
Come and look at the excavation work completed this summer, and get up close to the finds recovered from this fascinating site. Visitors can enjoy site talks, where they can view the archaeology in person and ask the dedicated team about their findings, while a pop-up dig pit will also be available for younger children, and there will be craft activities to help families explore how things were made in the past.
LEICESTERSHIRE AND RUTLAND
Festival of Leicestershire and Rutland Archaeology
Across Leicestershire and Rutland
5 July – 3 August
The Festival of Leicestershire and Rutland Archaeology will feature over 100 events, launching with a History Fair at Oakham Castle and Rutland County Museum on 5 July (http://www.lahs.org.uk/events/lahs-history-fair 2025). Other highlights include two free lectures at the University of Leicester: Soldiers, Citizens and Slaves – creating the new Roman Jewry Wall exhibition on 9 July (https://fb.me/e/5JFFFKq6P), and If Beads Could Talk – recreating a Bronze Age composite necklace from Cossington on 23 July (https://fb.me/e/6qRkYoyxE).
NORFOLK
Digging Dereham!
Bishop Bonner’s Cottage Museum, Dereham
26 July
Calling all budding archaeologists! Join the museum team for a day jam packed with free creative activities inspired by Dereham’s rich archaeological heritage, including object-handling, mini excavations, Roman crafts, and a scavenger hunt.
WEST YORKSHIRE
Festival of Archaeology Finale
Cliffe Castle Museum & Park, Keighley
3 August
This year’s Festival of Archaeology Finale will take place at the beautiful Cliffe Castle Museum. The CBA are delighted to be heading to Bradford while it is UK City of Culture in 2025, celebrating archaeology and wellbeing with a day bursting with free creative and hands-on activities for all.
ONLINE EVENTS
A Day in Archaeology 2025
31 July
Have you ever wondered what archaeologists really do? Do they just dig, or are there other aspects to their work? A Day in Archaeology showcases blog posts on the Festival website describing a ‘day in the life’ of archaeologists from all over the UK.
#AskAnArchaeologist Day 2025
25 July
#AskAnArchaeologist Day is a chance for people from all over the world to ask archaeologists questions, and for archaeologists to share their knowledge. Anyone can ask a question using the #AskAnArchaeologist hashtag and any archaeologist with an answer is encouraged to respond. For the first time this year, the event will be hosted by Instagram and Bluesky as well as on X.
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