Blenheim Palace was designed by Sir John Vanbrugh and built between 1705 and 1722.The estate was landscaped by Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown in the 1760s. But the history of the estate actually goes back over 6,000 years.

Wessex Archaeology was commissioned by Historic Landscape Management for the Blenheim Estate and the Countryside Agency, to report on the condition of significant archaeological sites and monuments on the estate.

Wessex Archaeology worked for Frogmore Developments Ltd on the archaeological excavation at 60 & 63 Fenchurch Street in the City of London EC3. The site was redeveloped to provide a prestigious new office building. The excavation revealed medieval and Roman remains and was completed in August 2002. All archaeological remains were removed from the site prior to construction of the new building.

Springhead in Kent was Wessex Archaeology’s longest-running and most prolific excavation. Around 30 archaeologists spent more than two years working at the site, finding more than 150,000 objects, ranging from axe heads dating to 300,000BC to a small hoard of Medieval silver pennies. The site was described as ‘an archaeologist’s dream’.

In 2005 Southern Water Services commissioned Wessex Archaeology to carry out the excavation of archaeological remains along the route of two new pipelines. More than 650 finds and sites were recorded, most between Manston airfield and Weatherlees Wastewater Treatment Works during these works.

Wessex Archaeology was commissioned by Millwood Designer Homes to excavate land at Cliffs End Farm, Ramsgate prior to housing development. The extraordinary finds made during the 2004-5 excavations have allowed archaeologists to rethink the movement of people between this part of Kent and Continental Europe during the Bronze Age and Iron Age.

Wessex Archaeology was appointed to undertake excavation work in advance of the building Southampton Football Club’s new Friends Provident St Mary’s Stadium. They discovered an exceptionally rich Anglo-Saxon cemetery and found graves furnished with weapons, gold and fine gold jewellery.