We are currently working on two project ideas relating to our historic town, summarised below. Get in touch if you have ideas to help us take these forward.
Historic Buildings Research
This is a programme of research covering the following:
• Based on the findings of our Conservation Area Appraisal (CAA), a walking tour leaflet or interactive online map can be created.
A couple of examples of online ‘story maps’ which the Historic England team have worked on, and have been well received:
• Grimsby
Ideas: Two half-day events for young adults (approx. age 16-30) to include a walking tour of the high street looking at historic features and drawing out what people value most about the high street. This age group is typically less engaged with heritage, and the team is keen to attract new audiences.
It would be a mix of talking, tour, and looking at historic photos and maps to piece together the history of buildings. It would capture people’s memories about the places. This could also feed in to the online map. • Do these events physically in Year 2. They could also be run virtually if needed.
Archaeological Research Ideas
This is a programme of research covering the following:
• Possibility of ground-penetrating radar to learn about a medieval moot hall which is thought to lie beneath the market square and have burnt down in 1780! This would need some evidence of where it’s supposed to be so that the radar could be targeted. e.g. map evidence. This would be an exciting project right in the middle of the HAZ.
• Medieval burgage plots: Presumably these will be covered in the CAA and picked up in map analysis? If there were any interesting examples in the HAZ, they could potentially be subject to excavation. It could be good to focus on the town’s medieval history as the Roman side has been studied before- possibly as well as the Roman...
• Geophysics in the playing fields of Carr School. This could give context to the Roman fort excavations...
• Possible excavations e.g. in gardens/public places to learn more about the Roman history. Focus may be around Dowbridge Way.
• These ideas for archaeology could be a great means of community engagement and, when developed, link with the social prescribing programme (in design) .
