5 minutes reading time.

New for 2026:

On the 24th March 10am we will be launching our new Magna excavation places with accommodation at the adjacent Carvoran House & Cottage.

We do recommend reading the information on the page below before you book. This makes sure you’ve got all the information you need. To book head to the bottom of the page.

2026 Magna Excavations

In 2023 we started a new Scheduled Monument Consent (SMC) at Magna. You can learn more about our research and where we’ll be excavating throughout The Magna Project: 2023-2027 Excavations.

The Vindolanda Trust believes that archaeology and history are for everyone. To give as many people the opportunity to participate on our excavations, we limit the number of excavation periods a person can attend to one per person. This applies across all of our excavation experiences, at Vindolanda fort and at Magna fort as well as post excavation places. 

If you have questions about booking please take a look at our Excavation Booking FAQs webpage which has many helpful answers. 

What is included: 

Joining the team with an Excavate Only Place will give you 2 weeks on the excavations and includes an Excavation T-shirt. This would suit locals and those who wanted to find their own accommodation and can travel to site on a daily basis.

Excavate & Stay at Carvoran House and Cottage places will include 2 weeks on the excavations for the named people, plus accommodation next to the Roman Army Museum for up to 6 people in the House (4 excavation places) or 3 people in the Cottage (2 excavation places). Also includes an Excavation T-shirt for each excavator.

What is Involved in Excavating?

Find out more about what’s involved in volunteering the Vindolanda Trust excavations. What to bring, how fit you need to be and what a typical week is like for an excavator at the Vindolanda Trust.

What’s Involved in Excavating?

Cost of Excavation 2026:

Excavate Only Place: Single Place – £275

Excavate & Stay at Carvoran Cottage: £2000 Non-refundable deposit (to book): £275

2 Excavation Places plus on-site self-catered accommodation at Carvoran Cottage for the duration of your excavation for up to 3 people.

Excavate & Stay at Carvoran House: £4000 Non-refundable deposit (to book): £275

4 Excavation Places plus on-site self-catered accommodation at Carvoran House for the duration of your excavation for up to 6 people.

We ask that all our volunteer excavators become Friends of Vindolanda before they arrive to excavate. This means they will be able to visit our sites outside of the excavations and will be invited to our annual Friends Day which rounds up the year and the excavations.

2026 Dates:

Each period is two weeks long and you may book a maximum of one period on any Vindolanda Trust Excavations. 

Period 1: 6th April – 17th April 2026 – Fully Booked

Period 2: 20th April – 1st May 2026 – Limited availability

Period 3: 4th May – 15th May 2026 – Fully Booked

Period 4: 18th May – 29th May 2026 – Fully Booked

Period 5: 1st June – 12th June 2026 – Fully Booked

Period 6: 15th June – 26th June 2026 – Fully Booked

Period 7: 29th June – 10th July 2026 – Fully Booked

Period 8: 13th July – 24th July 2026 – Fully Booked

Period 9: 27th July – 7th August 2026 – Fully Booked

Period 10: 10th August – 21st August 2026 – Fully Booked

Period 11: 24th August – 4th September 2026 – Fully Booked

Period 12: 7th September – 18th September 2026 – Fully Booked

Booking Your Place:

The main booking for the 2026 Magna Excavations has already taken place and we are fully booked to keep up to date with any late additions/ cancellation places sign up to our newsletter.

Each ticket type has a different icon make sure to click on the correct ticket type for what you are after, tickets are non-transferable.

Excavate Only: Trowel only
Two weeks excavation at Magna Roman Fort and an Excavation T-Shirt.

Excavate & Stay at Carvoran Cottage: Cottage & Trowels x2
Two weeks excavation at Magna Roman Fort and an Excavation T-Shirt for the two named excavators and self-catered accommodation for up to 3 in the Cottage from Sunday to Saturday covering the excavation period.

Excavate & Stay at Carvoran House & Cottage: House & Trowels x 4
Two weeks excavation at Magna Roman Fort and an Excavation T-Shirt for the four named excavators and self-catered accommodation for up to 6 in the House from Sunday to Saturday covering the excavation period.

Excavate Only

Once you reach the webpage for purchasing tickets you will be asked to choose your type of ticket. Add a ticket(s) to your basket, with a maximum of two per booking, then choose your period from the calendar. Make sure you know the start date of the period you would like to attend. After this you will go through the process of adding your information and making payments. Your tickets will be reserved for 10 minutes once they are in your basket and this will only happen once you have chosen your period and moved to enter your personal details.

Accommodation at Carvoran House & Cottage

Once you reach the webpage for purchasing tickets you will be asked to choose your type of ticket. Add it to your basket, then choose your period from the calendar. It is good to know the start date of the period you would like to attend (the accommodation arrival date will be the Sunday before but the date picker will show start dates of the period). After this you will go through the process of adding your information and making payments, your tickets will be reserved for 10 minutes once they are in your basket and this will only happen once you have chosen your period and moved to enter your personal details.

If you cannot see any of these options displayed and are looking after the launch it may mean they are sold out.

For any questions you have on the day please take a look at our Excavation Booking FAQs webpage which has many helpful answers.

Please note we are aware that the demand for our excavations places exceeds the number available. As a result we acknowledge there will be disappointed people who have not managed to secure a place this year.
We understand how frustrating it can be to try to get a place and not being successful. Our team are working very hard to make the booking process as streamlined and fair for everyone. However, there will always be disappointed people who haven’t managed to get a spot on the excavations due to the sheer demand.
Our staff are here to help you. The majority of our customers are wonderful, are respectful and polite. We ask that you please show our staff respect and treat them with kindness. They are only doing their job and will therefore not tolerate any sort of verbal abuse. The Vindolanda Trust reserves the right to remove people from the excavations who do not act in accordance with our values.