Having learnt a great deal about archaeology from the experts we undertook our first excavation under the direction of historian Trevor Hill, but without the archaeologists assistance. Over two days thirteen volunteers put in two trenches across what maps showed was the tail-race of the Sheinton Forge.
Due to extremely hot days the second trench was not fully researched. However the first trench revealed that what had been the tailrace had been filled with debris, a fact that was later confirmed by the farmer.
However below this layer the excavation revealed that the bottom of the tailrace had been sealed with a layer of white clay and had been lined with stonework although most of the latter had been robbed out, probably to build the nearby road bridge.
