Archaeology

As with any town, a great deal of Ilkeston’ past is inaccessible, either swept away entirely by the need for more substantial construction, or locked away by new building on top of old. The rare opportunity to examine a site in the centre of the town — the grounds of the old vicarage of St Mary’s — gave us an insight into the medieval life of the area.

Fortunately, there are locations that haven’t been overbuilt that have secrets waiting to be revealed — when time, money and opportunity permit.

The more intriguing are items that serendipity uncovers: the chance discovery of a chance loss. Finds of everyday objects, from neolithic times to the present day, suggest stories about our antecedents and bring us closer to the past.