The Nerds have a Grand Day Out

A day off from excavations.  With time on their hands a group of diggers decided to take an excursion.  Various interests were indulged.

There was a steam train involved:

Camera guys deep in discussion of the merits of various Canon products.

And of course there was a Roman fort at the end of the train ride.  This is Whitley Castle, Cumbria.  It has not really been excavated and is notable primarily for its formidable system of defensive ditches.

Absent an active excavation program local enthusiasts have done an annual "mole hill survey".  Basically this involves seeing what our rodent colleagues have turned up each spring.  They are not particularly efficient workers but they do work free.  A few bits of pottery were found today including this bit of mortaria.

All I found was this interesting cluster of beads.  A family of sheep had just wandered past.

Then home again through intermittent rain and squelchy mud.

A Grand Day Out, even if the road home was a bit muddy.  Near the end of the public foot path I encountered this sad, sad bench.