Field Work
Planned field work is notified to members by regular newsletter with all short notice projects advised via e-mail or telephone. Unfortunately this type of work can only be offered to members of the society aged 18 or over due to the requirements of our insurance policy and to comply with the society’s constitution. We aim to run at least one excavation per year in addition to frequent geophysical surveys.
Evening Meetings Programme:
We hold meetings on the second Wednesday of the month in October, November, December, February and March from 7pm to 9pm in the Isobel Blackman Centre, Winding Street, Hastings Old Town TN34 3AT. All meetings are held there unless indicated otherwise.
NO JANUARY MEETING
Wednesday 14th October 2026 at 7pm - ‘The Amsterdam Disaster’ by Tim McDonald
On Sunday 26th January 1749, The Amsterdam, a large cargo ship belonging to the Dutch East India Company, was run aground in a severe storm, to rest on the sands of Bulverhythe Beach. The top of the wreck is occasionally visible at low Spring tides. Tim will tell us about the ship and the circumstances leading to it being wrecked on our local beach. Tim volunteers at the Shipwreck Museum and conducts guided tours of the Amsterdam wreck and surrounding beach.
Wednesday 11th November 2026 at 7pm - ARMISTICE DAY ‘Lest we Forget’
‘Fall in Ghosts – Archaeological Investigations at the site of a WWI Training Camp, Cooden, Bexhill, East Sussex.’ By Simon Stevens
Opened in September 1914, Cooden Camp was used throughout WWI, originally housing men who would form the 11th, 12th, and 13th Battalions of the Royal Sussex Regiment. The Sussex men who trained there were involved in The Battle of the Boar’s Head at Richebourg-l’Avoue in France on 30 June 1916 when the battalions would suffer some 1,100 casualties. The camp was used as the temporary home of men in training from as far afield as South Africa and Australia, later becoming the site of Princess Patricia’s Canadian Red Cross Hospital. Following a planning application on part of the former camp, geophysical surveys and trial trenching of the site were conducted in 2018 and 2021. Full scale archaeological excavation and recording was undertaken between September 2024 and January 2025, revealing a variety of archaeological deposits and artefacts relating to ‘day to day’ life at Cooden Camp. Simon works as a Senior Archaeologist for Archaeology South-East (ASE). He has special interests in military history, the Wealden Iron industry and community archaeology projects. Simon is a prolific report writer and regularly has journal articles published.
Wednesday 9th December 2026 at 7pm - ‘Recent Geophysical Surveys conducted by HAARG’ by Kevin Cornwell
Kevin and the HAARG surveying team members work hard to produce good results. Kevin will show the recent results and discuss their interpretation.
NO MEETING IN JANUARY 2027
Wednesday 10th February 2027 at 7pm - ‘Sussex Military Research: Exploring opportunities…’ by Stewart Angell
Sussex Military Research was formed by Stewart Angell and Peter Hibbs in 2018, to promote and raise awareness in all aspects of military history relating to the County of Sussex, including associated archaeology. Stewart is currently working in archaeology where his experience of fieldwork and excavation ranges from the prehistoric through to World War military sites. He acts as a specialist advisor regarding research and military aspects relating to Sussex, particularly underground sites. Stewart is widely published and his book, ‘The Secret Sussex Resistance’ (1996) is recognised as a definitive piece of research.
Wednesday 10th March 2027 at 7pm - ‘The Bronze Age Settlement on New Coghurst Farm, Hastings, East Sussex.’ by Cameron Ross (exact title to be confirmed).
Cameron Ross is originally from Australia. He lives with his wife, son and his wife’s family at New Coghurst Farm. He has worked in commercial archaeology but now runs community archaeological excavations, projects on the farm as part of the ’Wilding the Weald’ and leads conflict archaeology projects in Europe. Cameron is also an accomplished artist, also producing illustrations relating to archaeological discoveries.
This evening’s talk will be preceded by the Annual General Meeting. Minutes , Agenda and Officer’s Reports will be distributed prior to the AGM.
There will be a further meeting during the summer 2027 months, probably a site visit as the last two meetings of this type have been well received.
Non members welcome for a small donation of £3 to help cover our costs.
For members under 18, a parent or guardian should accompany the junior member to evening meetings.
To find us click on the Linked map