Leasowe Lighthouse Community Excavation

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In Autumn 2007 a community excavation took place at Leasowe Lighthouse, Leasowe, Wirral. The project was commissioned by Wirral Borough Council as part of Wirral's contribution to the Merseyside Year of Heritage 2007. The work was undertaken by the Field Archaeology Unit (FAU) of National Museums Liverpool (NML), with volunteer contributions.

No previous archaeological work has taken place at Leasowe Lighthouse, though the surrounding coastline has a rich history of finds from the prehistoric to modern periods.

Aims of the project

The community project had two main aims:

• to facilitate public participation in archaeological fieldwork, in particular excavation and post-excavation.
• to continue a programme of research into the archaeology of the north Wirral coastline.

The Excavation

Leasowe Lighthouse was originally constructed in 1763 and is a Grade II listed monument. The 2007 excavation took place on the buildings known to have stood at the base of Leasowe Lighthouse in the late 19th and early 20th century.

The dig revealed two distinct ranges of structures at the base of the lighthouse, including a host of finds reflecting the social and economic activities which took place at and around the lighthouse in the later 19th and first half of the 20th century.

Community Involvement

147 adult volunteers contributed to the project, through archaeological excavation, recording, and post excavation. People had a chance to learn recording and observational techniques, supervised by professional archaeology staff. Open days and site tours brought numerous visitors to the site and media coverage ensured the dig was brought to the attention of local visitors.

For more information on the community project and site blog posts, visit NML'S Leasowe Lighthouse Project page∞

Published report

The project report, entitled 'A Beacon on the Past', has now been produced by National Museums Liverpool, and contains a history of the lighthouse aswell as the results of the community excavation and the finds from the site.

You can purchase a copy of the report from NML's online shop∞

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