Context One is an independent commercial unit specialising in all aspects of archaeological investigations across the South-West. Operating from Cornwall to Hampshire and from South Gloucestershire to the Dorset coast, we carry out around 70 projects a year. These range in size from monitoring small extensions to excavating large sites as part of major infrastructure projects. We are accredited archaeological contractors with all County Councils and Unitary Authorities in the South-West and our clients include a number of County Councils, utility companies and major building contractors.
Established since 1997 with offices in Wincanton, Somerset and Exeter, Devon, we pride ourselves on having a reputation for an expertise in the field, for producing high quality reports and having an attentive professional rapport with our clients.
The range of services that we offer include:
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We provide both consultancy advice and a free quotation as part of our initial complementary service so if you have any archaeological work that you are looking to place either now or in the future, we would be pleased to hear from you.
The Context One Team
Richard McConnell BA (hons) – Projects Director
Richard is the co-founder of Context One and oversees all aspects of commercial and research work and takes a lead role in managing an average of 70 projects a year for the consultancy. He has extensive archaeological experience across a wide range of fieldwork investigations both in the UK and abroad including excavation, historic building recording, geophysical survey, earthwork surveys and artefact sampling techniques. Richard has also accumulated considerable experience in archaeological reporting and contributes towards many of the project reports and consultative documents produced by the consultancy as well as authoring articles published in academic journals. He is especially interested in medieval archaeology, fieldwork techniques, computer applications and the history of archaeology. Richard regularly gives talks to day schools and archaeological society events.
Stuart Milby BSc (hons), MSc – Fieldwork Manager
Following graduation from King Alfred’s College, Winchester in 1998, Stuart spent three years working in commercial field archaeology on several large urban and rural sites for various archaeological units including Oxford Archaeology, Cotswold Archaeological Trust and Bath Archaeological Trust. In 2001, Stuart completed a Masters Degree in Human Osteology, Funerary Archaeology and Biological Anthropology, at the University of Sheffield. On successful completion of his MSc, Stuart returned to field archaeology in a supervisory capacity working on some of the largest archaeological excavations undertaken in the UK to date. Stuart has extensive experience in all aspects of archaeological fieldwork and has a specific interest in human remains and burial sites. He joined Context One in 2007 and is now Fieldwork Manager for the company.
Richard Tabor (PhD, University of Birmingham, 1998) – Reports Manager
Richard has worked as an archaeologist since his school days. From 1974 he worked for regional archaeology units, the Committee for Rescue Archaeology in Avon Gloucestershire and Somerset (CRAAGS) and the M3 Archaeological Rescue Committee (MARC3). He founded the South Cadbury Environs Project in 1992 and as its director was employed as a Research Fellow at the University of Bristol from 2001-08. The project was funded by grants from the Leverhulme trust (2001-04) and the Arts and Humanities Research Council (2004-08). He has extensive experience of excavation as a director, field survey (test, pitting, shovel pitting, fieldwalking and geophysical prospection) and has taught both post and undergraduate university and college ‘A’ level students in the field and in class in all these topics. He has been published in Antiquity and county journals. He has also authored two books: Regional Perspectives in Archaeology: From Strategy to Narrative and Cadbury Castle: The hillfort and landscapes.
Pete Fairclough BA (hons) – Senior Field Archaeologist
Pete has amassed over 15 years archaeological fieldwork experience since graduating from University in 1996 and has worked for some of the largest archaeological units in the UK during this time. Peter joined Context One at the beginning of 2006 and contributes to all aspects of major fieldwork projects. He is also responsible for environmental processing and general post-excavation duties. He is also a registered First-Aider.
Tara Fairclough BA (hons) – Archaeological Illustrator
An archaeology graduate of King Alfred’s College in Winchester, Tara has worked in professional archaeology since 1996. This has included working as a Field Archaeologist for companies such as St Albans City Council, Test Valley Archaeological Trust and Wessex Archaeology. Tara took a family break in 2002 before joining Context One in 2006 as an assistant illustrator. Tara is now the principle illustrator for the unit and has amassed extensive experience of all areas of archaeological illustration from map regression work and interpretation to small finds drawing and reconstruction work.
Kelly Evans BA (hons) – Project Administrator
Following a Bachelor of Arts degree in Archaeology at Southampton University, Kelly has spent much of her professional career in administration and before joining Context One in early 2011, she worked as a legal secretary in a local law firm. Kelly assists in all aspects of post-excavation administration and office management.
Jackie Pugh – Accounts
Jackie joined Context One in 2011 and combines a part-time role in accounts with a similar position at Port Regis School at Motcombe. Jackie has over 20 years experience in accounting covering a wide range of roles within different industries.