The 2026 Strata Florida Archaeology Field School is open for bookings and offers participants the chance to excavate a new dig area with potential for significant finds.

A new trench will be opened at a mill structure sitting on a complex network of medieval water systems within the precinct of Strata Florida Abbey, a former Cistercian monastery dating from 1184.

During the excavations Strata Florida Trust, which runs the field school in partnership with the University of Wales Trinity St David (UWTSD), aims to discover the mill’s functions and in what eras it was operating.

The aim is to increase understanding of the site’s water management and industry throughout the centuries.

Archaeological excavations at Strata Florida, located at Pontrhydfendigaid, near Tregaron in central Ceredigion, have been running since 2004.

Over the past six years, the courtyard of the Mynachlog Fawr farm buildings and the field to the west of the abbey complex have been excavated to uncover a range of structures dating from the medieval era and earlier.

Radiocarbon dating of samples has placed structures as far back as the 10th and 11th centuries, long before Strata Florida Abbey was built.

The archaeology field school is run by a group of qualified and experienced staff made up of an archaeology team led by site director Quentin Drew, senior lecturer in archaeology at UWTSD, a welfare support team and an administrative team.

Notably, the field school is open to all, including participants with physical or mental health challenges and those with no prior archaeological experience. Training includes a wide range of archaeological excavation and survey techniques, such as how to correctly use a trowel, the collection of geophysical data for archaeological mapping and finds processing and recording.

Excavation work takes place on site from Tuesdays to Saturdays and a programme of local tours is offered on Sundays.

Participants can book for one, two, three or four-weeks on a residential or non-residential basis or attend as day diggers. An early-bird discount is available until November 1, a returner’s discount until January 1, 2026 and an educational bursary is available for applicants who are studying archaeology or have recently graduated in the discipline.

Carys Aldous-Hughes, Strata Florida Trust operational director, said: “The Strata Florida Archaeology Field School has a gained a reputation for being the most inclusive field school in the UK.

“This, combined with the new and exciting dig area, means participants from around the world will benefit from learning new skills, unearthing new finds and making a vital contribution to the story of Strata Florida.”

For more information or to book a place, please visit the website: Archaeology Field School (strataflorida.org.uk) or email at [email protected]