Event - Savour flavours of medieval food (Newark)

An exhibition about medieval food has opened in the undercroft of Newark Castle.


The display has been created by the Friends of Newark Castle and Gardens.

It provides information about food production between 1066 and 1566, when produce from the Continent and the new world was introduced to Britain.

The exhibition is in what would have been the castle storeroom.

The room is linked by stairs to a water gate that leads directly on to the River Trent, where supplies to the castle were delivered.

Beer barrels, imitation fruit, and period cups, plates and jugs create the feel of a medieval food store.

A variety of birds and a rabbit hang from the pillars as they would have done in the Middle Ages, although those in the exhibition have been stuffed.

The chairman of the friends group, Mr Allan Towler, said the stuffed animals attracted attention from children.

He said they hoped to add to the exhibition over time as more money became available.

The project has been supported by the Trent Vale Landscape Partnership, an initiative funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund.

Money has also been provided by Yorkshire Bank, Lincolnshire Co-op, and Nottinghamshire county, Newark and Sherwood district and Newark town councils.

The exhibition can be viewed as part of castle tours every Wednesday, Friday and Saturday at 1pm, or at other times by arrangement.

The tours, which cost £2.50, can be booked at the tourist information centre.
  From: http://www.newarkadvertiser.co.uk/articles/news/Savour-flavours-of-medieval-food

News - Fieldwork reveals civil war potential (Farndon)

Investigations into whether a field in Farndon was a key location during the English Civil War have revealed a possible earthwork defence.

Archaeologists using GPS equipment found a raised area down one side of the field, from the Fosse Way up to Wyke Lane.

Farndon Archaeological Research and Investigations (FARI) and Nottinghamshire County Council’s archaeology team investigated what lay beneath the field.

The work was paid for by the Heritage Lottery Fund through the Trent Vale Landscape Partnership.

Emily Gillott, a community archaeologist with the council, said the raised earthbank was a good place to look for a civil war defence.

A map of civil war defences showed that Farndon had an earthen defence.

Emily Gillott said if the defence was not the raised earthbank, then it could be lost under houses at St Peter’s Close and School Lane.

Other earthworks were discovered during the investigation, including the remains of medieval ploughing tracks and a holloway, again medieval, which would have provided a back lane for properties on Wyke Lane.

FARI will now decide what further investigation it wishes to carry out.

 

From: http://www.newarkadvertiser.co.uk/articles/news/Fieldwork-reveals-civil-war-potential

Event - Community Archaeology Handbook - Workshop (Notts)

As part of the Trent Vale project Nottinghamshire Community Archaeology are looking at producing a Community Archaeology Handbook; a guide book, written by the community to help groups and individuals get ideas for projects and carry them out.  The guide will cover a wide range of topics including;

• documentary research
• map regression
• field walking
• geophysics
• excavation
• oral history
• publicity
• health and safety
• report writing
• project design
• interpretation

They are looking for people who might be interested in contributing to this guide, and writing parts for it.  You don't need to have any experience as they will put on training sessions for many topics, so this is a great opportunity to learn something new or brush up on skills you already have, and share your knowledge with like-minded people.  

If you are interested in finding out more then Community Archaeology invite you to come along to one of the consultation workshops they have organised at the end of January.  If you would like to come along, please RSVP as soon as possible to this email, or via phone on 0115 977 2160.  Places are limited and will be on first-come-first-served basis.

Saturday 21st January - Beckingham Willow Works

Daytime session

9.30am - 10.15  Arrival and coffee

10.15  Presentation and explanation of the project.

11.00  Coffee break

11.20  Workshop and ideas session

1.00pm  Lunch (buffet provided) and time for discussion

2.00pm  Finish

If you would like to come along but can't make it on Saturday, they have 2 further sessions; 

Wednesday 25th January - Norwell Village Hall

Evening Session

6.30pm - 7.15  Arrival, coffee and buffet.

7.15  Presentation and explanation of the project.

8.00  Coffee break

8.15  Workshop and ideas session

9.00  Finish

Monday 30th January - Farndon Memorial Hall

Daytime session

9.30am - 10.15  Arrival and coffee

10.15  Presentation and explanation of the project.

11.00  Coffee break

11.20  Workshop and ideas session

13.00pm  Lunch (buffet provided) and time for discussion

14.00  Finish

Hope to see some of you there

All the best

Emily/Community Archaeologist

Course - Trent Vale Oral History (Newark/Beckingham)

Interested in Oral History?  In the new year there are two Oral History Workshops for individuals and community groups, arranged through the Trent Vale Landscape Partnership.  The course is free and all are welcome, but you will need to book.

 The courses will be delivered by Colin Hyde from the East Midlands Oral History Archive (EMOHA). Dates/locations are:

Tuesday 1^st May 2012, Harthill Room, British Waterways Building, Newark 10am to 4pm

Thursday 14^th June 2012, Beckingham Willow Works, Meeting Room 10am to 4pm

(times to be fully confirmed).

  There is space for around 12 people per course. It will cover the following:

• Setting up a project, why? How?
• Linking with local resources, museums and collections
• Contacting interviewees
• Developing subjects
• Developing questions
• Conducting interviews – process and structure
• Recording, managing and storing information
• Where to go from there…

Groups or individuals who have recording equipment can bring that along too and use of these can be included in the workshop.

If you want to come along please can you book with Helen Keating;

07884 392429, helen.keating@britishwaterways.co.uk

Via Community Archaeology e-mail

Website: New website for Trent Vale (Notts)

At last! The long-awaited Trent Vale website is finally here after months of hard work.

The new website will act as the main noticeboard for all Trent Vale events, news and activities, as well as providing lots of information about the heritage and wildlife of the area. This is the place where you will, in time, be able to download all our circular walks and cycle routes. We are encouraging the community to suggest features and places of interest to add to our interactive maps, so feedback welcomed! View the new site at:www.trentvale.co.uk

From: http://trentvale.wordpress.com/2011/11/21/new-website-for-trent-vale/

Event - Willow Works Community Open Day (Beckingham)

The Willow Works is an exciting newly-refurbished community facility and historic willow weaving building set in the village of Beckingham, near Gainsborough.

Restored as part of the Trent Vale Landscape Partnership, the local heritage group would like to invite you to an open day to give you the opportunity to look around this unique heritage building:

When: 10 September, 11 – 4.

Where: The Willow Works, Old Trent Road, Beckingham, DN10 4PY

What: Free BBQ & refreshments, children’s activities, willow working demonstration, Trent Vale exhibition, future plans for landscaped community garden and much more…

From: http://trentvale.wordpress.com/2011/09/05/willow-works-community-open-day/

Dig- Besthorpe Mons Pool Community Excavation (Besthorpe)

The ongoing developer-led excavation at Mons Pool, Besthorpe Quarry, opens up to volunteer diggers for a fortnight from the 8th to the 19th August (excluding weekends). As part of the Trent Vale Landscape Partnership, the University of Salford’s Centre for Applied Archaeology are teaming up with Nottinghamshire County Council’s Community Archaeologists for this fortnight of community archaeology to celebrate the Festival of British Archaeology.

Volunteers will have the opportunity to excavate parts of a Romano-British settlement that once overlooked the River Trent. The site also has fascinating prehistoric origins that stretch back into the Stone Age.

Places on the dig are filling up fast, so email community.archaeology@nottscc.gov.uk or call or call 0115 977 2160 if you want to come along. Also visit our website at www.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/communityarchaeology for a video and photos from last year’s dig.

From: http://trentvale.wordpress.com/2011/08/02/besthorpe-mons-pool-community-excavation/

Dig - Budding archaeologists can get their hands dirty (Besthorpe)

PEOPLE can try their hand at digging into the past this summer.


Community archaeologists from Notts County Council have organised a two-week community dig at Besthorpe Quarry near Newark.

It will take place over two weeks from August 8 to 19.

Up to 20 people will be able to take part each day, joining the community archaeologists, professionals from the University of Salford's Archaeology Unit, and volunteers from community groups in Manchester.

The event is part of the Trent Vale Landscape Partnership project, to celebrate the heritage of Trent Valley between Newark and West Stockwith.

Main partner Notts Wildlife Trust is overseeing the creation of new wetland habitat at Besthorpe Nature Reserve, a former gravel extraction site near Besthorpe Quarry.

There will be an open day at the reserve on Saturday, July 23, as part of the Festival of British Archaeology.

For more information about the events email Emily Gillott at emily.gillot@nottscc.gov.uk.

From: http://www.thisisnottingham.co.uk/Budding-archaeologists-hands-dirty/story-12877082-detail/story.html

News - Unique six-month work experience initiative for unemployed (Beckingham)

EIGHT young Bassetlaw men have swapped the dole queue for a six-month opportunity to learn new skills on a rural restoration project.

They are getting to grips with building work, painting and decorating as part of the renovation of the Beckingham Willow Works.

And the unique work experience initiative is being co-ordinated as one of the final schemes run by the Government's Future Jobs Fund programme – which ends on March 31.

The jobless 19 to 24-year-olds have each been unemployed for at least six months.

They are involved in the restoration of the century-old building, which is being trans- formed into a community heritage centre.

Turning back the clock at Beckingham Willow Works is a major part of the Trent Vale Landscape Partnership programme launched a year ago.

It is funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund, Star Energy, Nottingham shire County Council and the Environment Agency.

The building will also host an exhibition about the former willow industry and create office space, meeting rooms and function rooms with full welfare facilities.

And the workforce is being provided by contractors Crestra Ltd through Groundwork Creswell, Ashfield and Mansfield – which has taken ownership of the building on behalf of the community.

Trent Vale Landscape Partnership secured £1.6 million funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund in January last year, for a three-year period to conserve, enhance and celebrate the cultural identity of the Trent Vale between Newark and Gainsborough.

From: http://www.thisisretford.co.uk/news/Unique-work-experience-initiative-unemployed/article-3235271-detail/article.html