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Second oven found at Anglo-Saxon site dig

News imageBBC Jane Harrison, Kathryn Murphy and Sarah Miles stand with their arms around each other in a large field. They are all smiling and wearing t-shirts, one with the words Community Archaeology North on it. All have glasses, two have grey hair, the woman on the left is younger and has brown hair tied back. BBC
The dig near Felton was led by archaeologists Jane Harrison, Kathryn Murphy and Sarah Miles

Archaeologists have uncovered a second oven during their fourth dig at a "significant" Anglo-Saxon site.

The field, near Felton in Northumberland, has been popular with metal detectorists for years and objects discovered there include the first oven unearthed in 2024 alongside unbaked loom weights used to stretch thread during weaving.

Dr Jane Harrison, of Community Archaeology North, said of the previous inhabitants: "Not only did they produce beautiful artwork, they were also really organised and made sure everyone got what they needed."

Archaeology found at the site dates from the sixth to the ninth centuries with items including lead gaming pieces from the Viking era discovered.

News imageTwo people are on their hands and knees in a shallow archaeology trench. In front of them are some stones and they are scraping the dirt from around them. There is a blue bucket is next to them
Among the finds of 2026 was a second oven used to bake loom weights used in weaving

"We actually have very little Anglo-Saxon archaeology in Northumberland despite the glories of Lindisfarne and Bamburgh so this is a really significant site," Harrison said.

News imageA trench shows various stone protruding and a set of teeth - possibly belonging to sheep
Animal remains were among the finds at the site

The archaeologist explained: "What we know now is that they were making loom weights out of clay and looming cloth for the local economy.

"The loom weights are huge so it would have been heavy duty cloth for tents or possibly even sails.

"It would have been a meeting place, a hub, a busy site with people coming and going."

News imageAn archaeological dig is in progress with a wide, square shallow trench in which four people are digging while sitting or kneeling. They each have a brightly coloured bucket. A man is standing taking notes on the far side of the trench and in the foreground of the shot are some spades.
The site includes a number of structures, some for living in, others for storage

Kathryn Murphy, also from Community Archaeology North, said: "This year we've got the second oven.

"We've also found more big pits, possibly another timber-built building, so there's a lot more going on here than we possibly thought before."

News imageSteve Lowe is a bald man with a grey trimmed beard in his 50s wearing a black top. He's standing in a field and behind him people are digging as part of an archaeological dig
Steve Lowe, from Whitley Bay, is on his second dig at Felton

Volunteer Steve Lowe from Whitley Bay is finding out "a little more about our local history" on his second dig at the site.

"The appeal is that you can be the first person to see something that has been buried for thousands or hundreds of years at the very least," he said.

"Seeing the industrial nature of this site has been fantastic.

"Every year we find something different."

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