Join in the big dig for history

Rochdale residents can pick up their shovel and join 9,000 people taking part in a major archaeology project across Greater Manchester

The University of Salford is set to manage the huge project that will see digs in all 10 boroughs of Greater Manchester, and Blackburn, over the next four and a half years.

The 11 sites, ranging from the medieval to industrial mills, will be finalised over the next few weeks.

Dig Greater Manchester, funded by the Association of Greater Manchester Authorities (AGMA), will see thousands of school children and adults take part in an archaeological evaluation in their local area with many more people able to get involved through talks and exhibitions.

After the initial digs, the sites will be evaluated and two outstanding areas chosen for full-scale archaeological digs carried out using volunteers trained and supervised by University of Salford experts.

A total of 6,000 pupils and 3,000 community members will get involved, with many opportunities to learn archaeological techniques through workshops. These will equip volunteers with the skills to take part in and get most enjoyment out of the experience, and also with the skills to develop their own projects.