Countryside Partnerships, part of Vistry Group, supported an event where local people could see what had been found on the site. Held at Keresley Community Library, visitors were able to handle some of the finds and discover what goes on during an archaeological excavation. The drop-in session was free and open to all.

Worcestershire Archaeology undertook the archaeological work on the edge of Keresley village, on behalf of RPS Consulting, Platform Housing and Countryside Partnerships. Across the excavation areas, remains of a probable medieval building were recorded, along with an associated cobble surface and other archaeological features.

Nina O’Hare, from Worcestershire Archaeology’s Outreach Team, explained that “This is a great chance for people locally to discover more about, and even hold, the archaeology on their doorstep. Most excavations, including this one, happen as part of the planning process, so it’s wonderful to get a chance to share the results with people. There’s nothing quite like holding an object that is centuries old, wondering who made it and all the stories it could tell.”

Countryside Partnerships will be working in partnership with Platform Housing Group to build 260 high-quality affordable homes on the site where the finds were made. The organisations funded this discovery day to share the exciting discoveries alongside the modern-day plans with the public.

Adam Sharpe, Managing Director, Countryside Partnerships South West Midlands, said: “Discovering archaeological finds in Keresley is really exciting and we would encourage people to come and find out more about the people who lived here over five centuries ago.
“Place making is at the core of Countryside’s work, and it is fantastic to be able to share how a previous community lived as we start to build a new one here in Coventry in partnership with Platform Housing.”