25 years is a long time in archaeology! Much has changed since 1989 and Cotswold Archaeology has been in the vanguard of developments and done much to set the pace.
The creation of Cotswold Archaeological Trust out of Cirencester Excavation Committee was a bold move, but it provided the platform upon which to build a commercially focused body able to perpetuate the best traditions of high-quality research.
It was also very timely. On a European scale the introduction of Environmental Impact Assessment was just beginning to make its mark on the development industry, and in 1990 the same principles underpinned new government guidance on archaeology and planning in England.
- Timothy Darvill marking the 50th anniversary of the formation of Cirencester Excavation Committee in 2008
From a handful of staff based in the former railway station building in central Cirencester, Cotswold Archaeology has grown to a multi-disciplinary team of more than 110 now spread through three offices in Cirencester, Milton Keynes, and Andover.
Our project portfolio has expanded from small-scale excavations and evaluations to participation in some of the largest archaeological programmes in Europe, such as major highway and railway schemes in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and Hinkley Point nuclear power station in Somerset.
- Our first vehicle – the distinctive Alter Umm 4×4
Our range of interests and skills has steadily grown to include, among other things, marine archaeology, historic buildings analysis, and landscape archaeology. Our geographical focus has also spread from Cirencester and the Cotswolds to include all parts of the UK and collaborations with partner organizations in other European countries.
Throughout, the greatest achievement of CA, and what motivates everyone in the company, is bringing new understandings of the past to ever wider audiences keen to find out what lies beneath their feet and how such things can help shape and enrich all of our futures. To this end I am delighted that we have now launched our free on-line library of grey literature fieldwork reports.
Timothy Darvill OBE
Chairman of the Board of Trustees
- Timothy Darvill OBE
