Shoreditch Park community excavation (NNR05)

Authors: Ros Aitken, Faye Simpson

Site supervisor:

Shoreditch Park is currently a large open area besides New North Road in Hackney comprising playing fields, trees, and garden areas. But it has not been like for very long. Before the 2nd World War this was an extensive area of high-density housing, comprising narrow streets with terrace houses. The area was first develped in the early 19th century though by the War most of the housing was probably Victorian. Many of the houses were very badly damaged during the bombing in the war. The area was first damaged during the Blitz of 1940-1 by aerial mines and incendiary devices, and later V1 and V2 rockets also hit the area. By the end of the war some houses were still standing whilst others were in ruins. After 1945, in response to a nationwide housing shortage, some of the site was used for temporary 'prefab' houses until the whole site was finally cleared and levelled over, to be turned into a community park in the 1980s.

During July, in a joint exercise involving staff from MoLAS, the Archaeological Archive (LAARC) and the Museum's Community Archaeologist, the Museum of London conducted a community training excavation at Shoreditch Park. The dug was undertaken partly to mark the 60th Anniversary of the end of World War II but also as the Museum's event for the National Archaeology Week (16th - 24th July), the annual event organised by the Council of British Archaeology. The project was funded by the Big Lottery Fund as part of the 'Their Past Your Future' Outreach Grant.

Several trenches were opened in the park, spanning the full length of a number of terrace houses and their backyards behind what used to be no.s 17-18 and 31-34 Dorchester Street. These properties are known to have been still standing, though damaged, after the War and therefore were not likely to have been been truncated by the construction of the pre-fabs found on other parts of the site. In addition another trench was opened at the eastern end of the park over former 18a Salisbury Street to investigate the known location of a V2 rocket impact point.

The excavation was supervised by MoLAS' Ian Blair, with MoLAS survey teams and finds staff also assisting. A range of adult volunteers and schoolchildren from local Primary Schools experienced digging on site as well as washing finds from the site at the MOL's nearby Eagle Wharf Road centre over several weeks. Over 700 school children participated or visited over July. As the dig progressed the pattern of the old houses became very clear, while the remains of things like external back yards, outside toilets, hard surface pantries and kitchens - in one case with the base for the domestic range still visible - were uncovered. Finds inlcuded bottles, plates, cups, bits of furniture, as well as toys dating to the 2nd World War included a toy plane and a toy gun - in short, a full range of broken and discarded domestic items from the early 19th century to the 1950s.

Excavation was however only the beginning of the process of studying and understanding the site, which continued with the help of local historians and volunteers. The historians are continuing to find out more fascinating facts about the buildings and the people who built them and lived in them, the archaeological volunteers will continue to clean and order the finds before cataloguing them; and specialists will study various selected aspects of the finds. We have also managed to trace several of the former inhabitants of the area and discuss with them what life was like in Shoreditch before, during and immediately after the War.

The Shoreditch Park Excavation created a great deal of interest among local residents, and the LAARC held a post-excavation drop-in session over a weekend in which local people were able to view all the finds and see photographs and plans of the site, and an evening session to discuss future plans for the project. We also had visits from David Lammy, the Minister for Culture, Hackney South & Shoreditch MP Meg Hillier, Lord Redesdale the Chair of the All Parliamentary Archaeology Group, and local and national press. Further outreach events are planned for the future including education days and an exhibition.

This site report is extracted from MoLAS 2005: annual review