Uncovering the past at Rouse Hill Estate
Published on Thursday 07 May 2026
In the lead-up to conservation work on the overseer’s cottage at Rouse Hill Estate, an unexpected discovery prompted the need for an archaeological excavation.
Plans for the excavation began after sections of the cottage floor were lifted to investigate loose floorboards, when our team discovered hidden soil deposits between the flooring joists that may hold historical significance. To understand what lies beneath, archaeologists have stepped in to investigate.
Opportunities like this are rare. While conservation is a routine part of caring for our historic sites, it’s unusual to identify soil at our properties that has remained undisturbed for so long. Deposits under floors can be particularly exciting, as they can contain personal objects that once fell through gaps in the floorboards, providing a unique window into the daily habits and domestic lives of the cottage’s residents.
Upcoming structural conservation works will need to disturb the ground below the cottage floor, which creates a risk that any buried material could be lost or damaged. This dig is a crucial step in uncovering and recording whatever stories the site holds.
The archaeological dig took the team five days of meticulous sorting. Some of the early findings include an 1870s coin, various ceramic bottle and crockery pieces and an early lead toy soldier. These already start to paint a picture of what life was like in the cottage.
The full significance of these finds won’t be known until a detailed analysis is complete. For now, here’s a glimpse of the specialist team, led by Matthew Kelly from Stratum Archaeology, carefully uncovering the past.
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Rouse Hill Estate: a preservationist approach
Six generations of one family occupied Rouse Hill House from its construction until the late 1990s when it opened as a museum. Each generation added another layer of belongings, improvements and memories