20/06/2026
COMMUNITY ARCHAEOLOGY AT PLAS GUNTER MANSION! 🏺☀️
What an incredible week!
Black Mountains Archaeology was delighted to work in partnership with Plas Gunter Mansion, with funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, to deliver a week-long Community Archaeology Project in the heart of Abergavenny.
Over the course of the project we welcomed 150 school children and 60 adult volunteers, all helping to uncover the hidden history of Plas Gunter.
We were joined by Year 5 pupils from Our Lady & St Michael’s Primary School and Gilwern Primary School, together with Years 5 and 6 from King Henry VIII School. Participants enjoyed hands-on archaeological excavations, pottery illustration workshops, finds processing sessions and our specially designed historical treasure hunt around Abergavenny.
The excavation exceeded all expectations. Volunteers uncovered the remains of a long-forgotten kitchen wing associated with Plas Gunter Mansion, together with evidence for a long demolished cottage-type building and a brick-floored structure visible on early 20th century aerial photographs.
Hundreds of artefacts were recovered, including pottery, glass, animal bone, clay to***co pipes and other finds spanning over 800 years of local history. Volunteers then helped wash, sort and identify the discoveries, learning how archaeologists piece together stories from the past.
Among the week’s highlights were the discovery of two Bronze Age flint scrapers, evidence of activity on the site thousands of years before Plas Gunter was built.
And then, just when we thought the week couldn’t get any better, the archaeology delivered one final surprise. On Friday afternoon volunteers uncovered the southern ditch of the Roman road and recovered fragments of Roman Caerleon Ware pottery together with a possible Roman loom weight, providing exciting new evidence for Roman activity in the area.
More importantly than the discoveries themselves, the project brought together people of all ages to explore, learn and share in the excitement of uncovering the past. The fantastic weather, enthusiasm of the children and dedication of our volunteers made it a truly memorable week.
A huge thank you to:
👏 All of our school groups and teachers
👏 The 60 fantastic community volunteers
👏 The team at Plas Gunter Mansion Trust
👏 Our amzing team at Black Mountains Archaeology
👏 The National Lottery Heritage Fund for making the project possible
This has been a wonderful example of community archaeology at its very best, and we can’t wait to share more of the finds and results as the post-excavation work continues.
🏺☀️
