Despite the financial squeeze on “Archaeology” and the planning threats to the “archaeology” that it studies, it’s a pleasure to report this good news from the superb Brislington Community Archaeology Project …

“On 19th March 2012, at a meeting of the Greater Brislington Neighbourhood Partnership, Brislington’s four local councillors agreed unanimously to the recommendation of the Brislington Environment Group that there should be a geophysical survey and excavation at St Anne’s Well. A budget of £4,000 was allocated to pay for professional supervision of volunteer community archaeologists.

The excavation would not be inside the well itself, but alongside it, and will be seeking evidence to date its construction. Dating evidence is vital because although the holy well produced medieval coins etc when it was excavated in 1878, we have no stratigraphical information to prove the coins were deposited during the medieval period.

This level of interest in one of our community’s crown jewels is really a once-in-a-generation opportunity (the last time anything like this happened was the cleaning of the well in 1923). If the well can be definitively linked with the nearby Chapel of St Anne in the Wood, which was a major pilgrimage site, it could open the door to a potential major project investigating the Pilgrim’s Path.”

Three cheers for genuine amateur archaeology and councillors who understand its value!