The Buildings Archaeologist - Discovering the Secrets of Britain’s Ancient Buildings

Join Dr James Wright in Tavistock on his nationwide tour for a fascinating talk on ancient buildings and his new book, The Buildings Archaeologist.

Why do we know so little about the ancient buildings which surround our everyday lives? Britain can be justifiably proud of approximately 500,000 listed buildings. Yet as many as 60% may have been identified incorrectly. Behind a Victorian façade is a Tudor house. Underneath a Georgian frontage is a mediaeval cottage. What is now a farm was once a castle. Many buildings, hundreds of years old, are entirely unlisted.

How can a nation, so obsessed with history, have missed so many ancient buildings?

The Buildings Archaeologist is the first book in over a quarter of a century which offers clues for discovering the secrets of Devon’s ancient buildings. It looks at the ways in which historic architecture has been observed, studied, and conserved. The puzzles surrounding why some buildings were listed and others overlooked will be solved. It acts as a field guide to the written records, tree-ring dating, and archaeology which help us to investigate the age, development, and social history of ancient buildings. These include houses, castles, churches, mills, factories, and warehouses hidden in plain sight. James Wright explains the fascinating, enigmatic, and surprising world of The Buildings Archaeologist.

About the Speaker
James Wright (Triskele Heritage), is an award-winning buildings archaeologist. He has appeared on Time Team and The Great British Dig, as well as across television, radio and podcasts, writes the Medieval Mythbusting blog, and has a number books published on historic buildings, archaeology and folklore. He has over two decades professional experience of ferreting around in people’s cellars, hunting through their attics and digging up their gardens. He hopes to find meaningful truths about how ordinary and extraordinary folk lived their lives in the mediaeval period. He is the author of Historic Building Mythbusting and The Buildings Archaeologist (The History Press).

What to Expect
James will give a fascinating presentation exploring the hidden archaeology of Britain’s historic buildings and the clues that can reveal their true age, development and stories.

Drawing on more than 20 years of experience as a buildings archaeologist, James will take us behind façades, beneath floorboards, and into the archaeological evidence used to uncover buildings which are not always quite what they seem.

The talk will be followed by an audience Q&A, with an opportunity to meet James and purchase a signed copy of his newly released book, The Buildings Archaeologist.

Whether you're a history enthusiast, fascinated by old buildings, work with historic properties, or simply find yourself wondering what stories might be hidden behind the walls of the places around us, this talk is for you.

Images courtesy of Triskele Heritage.

Access & Parking
Access to Tavistock Town Hall is level from Bedford Square. The hall is on the first floor via a short flight of stairs or a lift is available from ground floor. There are many parking options available here maps.app.goo.gl/y1EwGxwVfcXqqwwo7 
Please note there is no access to Bedford Carpark on this date due to the annual Goose Fair. 

See Stagecoach and Go Cornwall for information on bus times. Tavistock Bus Station is approximately 5min walk along Plymouth Rd (PL19 8AY)

Refreshments will be available to purchase on the evening. 
Tickets increase to £10 on the door. 

Further Talks
Want to know more from the world of buildings archaeology? Join us at Firebrand Brewing Co. on Sunday 18th October for James' Historic Building Mythbusting - Uncovering Folklore, History and Archaeology