To coincide with International Archaeology Day, we're sharing some items that have been found over the years under the pitch at the Home of England Rugby.
Over the last 115 years, the ground in Twickenham has grown and developed into the recently renamed Allianz Stadium that stands today. These redevelopment and maintenance works have uncovered an array of archaeological material that brings to life some of the stadium's unique history.
Ahead of the 1999 Rugby World Cup, maintenance work was carried out to improve drainage of the pitch. This horseshoe was discovered by John Clark, the Clerk of Works for the Rugby Football Union, as he supervised these works. Found 14 inches under the surface of the pitch it was clear this item had been hiding for many years! At the time, the shoe was dated between 1880 and 1920 by an expert. Despite being able to narrow down the object's burial date, it is still difficult to determine with 100% certainty its origins, leaving room for many theories and debates.
As the stadium was built in 1909, it is possible that the horseshoe actually pre-dates the stadium's construction, to a time when the area was in use as a market garden. It is also possible that the horses used to transport materials for the construction of the stadium between 1907 and 1909 may be responsible, while some believe the presence of the horseshoe below the pitch is part of an old ritual of good fortune, placed there on purpose.
Another theory is that the shoe was lost when mowing the pitch. These days, the stadium's grounds team maintain the pitch with powered vehicles, but one hundred years ago the mowers would have been pulled by horses, supervised very closely by the groundsman at the time, Charles Hale.
At the outbreak of the First World War, competitive rugby was put on hold as most players, who were able, joined the armed services. With no teams taking to the pitch, the stadium became a grazing ground for horses, who would later go to join the troops at the front line, as pictured here in 1915.
Some of the other items found in an archaeological context include two glass and two ceramic bottles. Uncovered in 2019 during the installation of new turnstiles in the West Car Park, these bottles have yet to be professionally dated, however there are other clues that could indicate the origin of these items. One of the ceramic bottles was discovered to have the maker's mark of 'Lovatt and Lovatt Notts. Langley Mill'. A famous producer of ink bottles, could this have been from the original RFU offices?
It is also rumoured that a string of sausages was found during more recent pitch maintenance, probably buried by a local fox, but these didn't make it into our collection!
[Following the posting of this article, the RFU's Head of Grounds and Technical Operations let us know that the latest finds have included undamaged and whole raw chicken eggs!]
There are likely to be many more mysteries hidden under the hallowed ground - how many more will be uncovered over the next 115 years?
