Festival to share historic Weymouth high street finds

The results of an archaeological excavation at North Quay are being put together and will be on display to the public at a Festival of Archaeology.

Finds from the dig from medieval to modern periods will be on show at the festival in the Old Town Hall in High West Street, Weymouth, on Saturday, July 20 from 10.30am to 4.30pm.

There will also be displays, rolling slideshows, demonstrations and children's activities relating to the recent community excavation.

It was carried out in late 2023 over the former High Street, and offers insight spanning the street's 13th century origins to its demolition in the 1960s. 

READ MORE: 'North Quay dig extended'

Richard McConnell, the project’s chief archaeologist, said: "We carried out the archaeological excavation at North Quay last autumn with volunteer help and we're slowly putting the results together.

"We've been involved with this site for a few years now as we carried out a preliminary investigation back in 2021.

"Together this has prompted side projects such as the later social history of the street in the decades before it was demolished and a couple of years ago we recorded people's memories of the street before it was cleared in the 1960s.

"It's also led us to collect as many photos and maps of the street as we could get our hands on."

Colourised image of the Weymouth Arms prior to its demolition (Image: Context One Heritage & Archaeology)

Among the buildings excavated by the team was 18th century pub the Weymouth Arms.

READ MORE: 'Ruins of bombed pub unearthed in Weymouth'

Mr McConnell is appealing for further images of the Weymouth Arms, which was originally built in the 1760s as a residential property, before becoming a pub in the early 1800s.

A nearby bombing during the Second World War saw the pub close its doors in November 1940 after suffering blast damage to its back wall, which the archaeological team have found.

The archaeological team would also like to see older images of the High Street, with volunteers donning Victorian costumes to recreate an old photo, with their images to be imposed onto it. 

The old High Street, Weymouth, in Victorian times (Image: Andy Hutchings Collection)

This is the only Victorian-era image of the High Street that has been found to date. 

"It became a fascinating centrepiece for the volunteers and ourselves during the excavation," Mr McConnell said.

The Festival of Archaeology will include a chance to ask the experts questions and children's activities such as 'lucky dip finds' and dressing-up costumes.

There is a chance to preview the finds the day before on Friday, July 19.

A separate event on the ground floor of the Old Town Hall will be held between 10.30am and 2pm continuing an Oral History project that has been running to record memories of the former High Street.

The finds exhibition will be open for a preview on this day from 1.30pm to 4.30pm.

For more information on the Festival of Archaeology see https://www.archaeologyuk.org/festival/festival-event-listing/festival-of-archaeology-in-weymouth.html