By Matt Parker Wooding, Heritage Research Manager

As the lockdown from the Covid 19 pandemic continues, taking breaks from managing the heritage research team, and seeing the outside world physically rather than through the window, takes on all sorts of importance – physical wellbeing and mental resilience being the main two.

However, this has also been a valuable exercise in getting to know the place where I moved at the start of autumn last year and have not yet had the opportunity to explore. I now live in a rural area containing a multitude of public walks direct from my doorstep, with no driving required, a massive bonus right now.

One of the unexpected pleasures of this, with my distinct leanings towards prehistoric archaeology, has been the chance to do a bit of fieldwalking along the public rights of way which are ploughed. An opportunity which has only slightly affected the choice of routes for my daily walks. The finds have been expanding not only my knowledge of the area but have also been reported to the local HER with photos of each (with scale) and their grid reference.

Whilst this has been a welcome relief from the current problems, archaeology has to compete against the other distractions, which include red kites and grass snakes, and some beautiful views and sunsets, which do sometimes make it difficult to concentrate on the ground! Looking up at the views and skies is something I think we all need to do in the present circumstances, simply for the break from the computer or TV screen, and managing the work-life balance, which can be difficult when working from home.