The Festival Of Archaeology Returns in July

Logo for Festival

The Festival of Leicestershire and Rutland Archaeology will be running from 3rd July to 1st August. The county festival is part of the UK’s biggest archaeological event, the National Festival of Archaeology.


As Lockdown restrictions ease, this is the perfect time to get out & explore local places. To discover the archaeology & rich heritage all around us. Uncover the stories, sites & people that make our local communities so special. Events will be taking place across Leicestershire and Rutland this summer. So, see archaeology come to life in local towns and villages, museums, and heritage sites.

Celebrating Local Heritage


The Festival brings together local organisations showcasing all that is great about our local archaeological heritage. We want you to help celebrate local sites, stories and people who shaped our local places.

  • Over 40 guided walks organised and we are adding more each day. These cover a huge range of sites from prehistoric to industrial.
  • Live digital talks by some of the counties’ leading heritage experts
  • Self-guided walks to enjoy at your own pace
  • Online archives of past talks
  • Plus many more family friendly activities, exhibitions and hands on events


Local organiser, Peter Liddle, says “last year was a disappointment with most of our events being cancelled, but this year we’re back! We have fabulous sites locally. We will be showing visitors a different, but fascinating side to popular beauty spots. Beautiful places like Bradgate Park, Beacon Hill and Abbey Park. Often the archaeology goes unnoticed, until our expert guides point it out”.

Peter Liddle, Local Festival Organiser

Safe Events


Peter adds: “We will be restricting numbers to aid social distancing. & taking bookings in advance. In addition, a number of self-guided walks for people to follow at their own pace and time. Talks will largely be online, with archaeologists from the University of Leicester and other experts, speaking on a range of local subjects.”

Our local Festival is thanks to the hard work of numerous organisations & individuals.

More Information


We are continually updating our programme of events. You can find out more information about the Festival and a full list of events at https://leicsfieldworkers.org/festival-of-archaeology/


The Leicestershire and Rutland Festival is part of a National Festival of Archaeology organised by the Council for British Archaeology. You can also find out more about the National Festival of Archaeology, which runs from 17 July – 1 August at https://festival.archaeologyuk.org/



For more about the Festival in Leicestershire and Rutland, please contact Peter Liddle on 07758194353, (0116) 2214508 or peter.liddle51@gmail.com or Mathew Morris on mlm9@le.ac.uk

Peter Liddle

Archaeologists at a dig
Archaeologists on a site dig