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Villagers hope for 'historical' finds at dig

The Walt Disney Family Museum, San Francisco The Disney family are standing in front of a Norton Disney sign when they visited the village in 1949. Walt is on the left in a grey suit and has a camera around his neck, while a young woman in a lilac dress is pointing to Norton Disney on the sign. Two other women are also looking at the sign, which includes Sleaford and StaplefordThe Walt Disney Family Museum, San Francisco
Walt Disney and his family in front of a Norton Disney sign when they visited the village in 1949

Residents of a Lincolnshire village have said they are "fascinated" at the possibility of finding links to the Disney family.

Archaeologists, who have descended on Norton Disney, near Lincoln, until Sunday, said they hoped to find "historical treasures".

Historians believe Walt Disney descends from a French family who settled in the area in the 11th Century and a team of volunteers hopes to find traces of an ancestral home.

A dodecahedron dating back to Roman times was discovered during a dig in the village in 2023 and Andy Leary, from Norton Disney History and Archaeology Group (NDHAG), said: "It would be nice to find another."

Jane Whittaker has clear glasses which are perched on the apples of her rosy cheeks. Her hair is curly towards the front but short overall with hues of dark brown hidden amongst blonder strands. Jane is standing in front of her garden which has been blurred.
Norton Disney resident Jane Whittaker has welcomed volunteers to dig in her garden

Resident Jane Whittaker said she is curious as to what they could find and admits she will be “peeking out of her window” as people dig.

A small plot of grass in Ms Whittaker's garden had been sectioned off to be uncovered by volunteers.

“I’d be thrilled if they found anything relevant to the history of the village,” she said.

“I’d be so excited."

Ms Whittaker believes traces of an old moat, which belonged to a manor house, could be found.

Andy Leary has an excited smile, he has blue eyes and is wearing a dark blue coat. He's standing in front of a green bush which is blurred.
Andy Leary, 65, from Norton Disney History and Archaeology Group, believes the village has a rich history

Mr Leary said the feeling of finding artefacts is worth the effort.

He admitted although it is “strange” to dig up people’s gardens, he assured things would be “put back how he found it”.

Fellow volunteer Christine Douglas said she would be “over the moon” to find something from the site.

“It would be nice to find some medieval pottery, that would be great,” she said.

Ms Douglas added she was “passionate” about heritage and history.

She said: “I think it is important to preserve history for future generations."

Volunteers who are part of the dig are huddling around the village hall collecting equipment. Orange buckets, chairs and spades are strewn on the floor as people begin to collect their things.
Volunteers have descended on the village in the hope of unearthing links to the Disney family

NDHAG will be joined by 30 volunteers from Wings To The Past, with University of Lincoln Prof Carenza Lewis leading the dig.

They hope to find connections to the Disney family, who were originally known as De Isney, then both d'Isigny and D'Iseny.

Walt Disney and his family visited the village in 1949 to trace his roots.

Time Team Digital plans to release an episode on what they uncover on its YouTube channel in 2025.

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