Uncategorized
Landscape Management
A lot has changed on the site over the past few months. Two teams of workers from Preston United and Furniture Matters have been working on site alongside David Redmore to improve the area by primarily clearing self seeded trees that are damaging the sensitive archaeology. The hedge along Vicarage Lane has been laid by a team of volunteers and various new plants have been added to creative a more wildlife friendly environment whilst filling the gaps in the hedge.
February Update
Spring is coming, we have plenty to share with you and some exciting events coming up so make sure you don’t miss anything.
Landscape Management
If you have been ‘Beyond the Castle’ lately you will have noticed some changes in the landscape! We have been concentrating this Winter on landscape management and much progress has been made.
Skills development and volunteering:
Working with volunteers we have restored the historic hedge along Vicarage Lane; the work involved hedge laying and re-stocking of gaps to diversity the hedge with hawthorn, dog rose and guelder rose.
Working with community partners:
We are currently hosting and training two teams who are on a three month work placement with us. Our partners are Social Enterprises Preston United and Furniture Matters. The teams have been making great progress with hedge laying, removal of young trees from archaeologically sensitive areas, crown raising and shrub removal.
Woodland and landscape management planning
We held a workshop to introduce the public to woodland management planning and what is involved as we are to embark on the process of woodland management planning with the Forestry Commission.
Upcoming Events for your Diary
Landscape and Archaeology Walk and Talk
Sunday 1st March
2pm outside Lancaster Priory
To find out more about the work that is happening on site and how landscape management and archaeology go hand in hand. Meet our heritage and landscape consultants David Redmore and Jason for a guided walk/ site walkover.
Woodland Management Planning Values and objectives for Beyond the Castle
14th March, 2 – 5 pm, Lancaster Priory Refectory
Meet the Beyond the Castle Woodland Consultant to explore and define values and objectives for the Beyond the Castle woodland management planning; with Dave Brackley, Woodland Consultant
Heritage Lancaster; ‘Shaping the Future’ event
Monday 22nd June 2015 10 am – 4 pm The Storey Institute
We are bringing together leading specialists in Roman archaeology and medieval castles to help us envision the future of Lancaster as one of the UK’s key heritage cities. The event is free and open to anyone with a perspective on what the future of our city should be. We now have the line-up confirmed for our expert panel:
Chair: Gill Hey, CEO Oxford Archaeology
Simon Esmonde Cleary Professor of Roman Archaeology
John Goodall Architectural Editor of Country Life Magazine
David Breeze Authority on Roman Military Archaeology
Jason Wood Beyond the Castle Heritage Consultant
John Zant Project Manager Oxford Archaeology North
David Shotter Emeritus Professor Lancaster University
Andrew Pearson Authority on late Roman Military Archaeology
There will be four key themes running through the day:
Advancing archaeological interpretation and progressing future research and excavation
Masterplanning, access, vision for the site
Digital data, the future of engaging people and communication
Tourism and visitor offer
For more information and to book a free place please visit beyondthecastle.org/heritagelancaster
Priory Churchyard Then and Now
We are working with Lancaster Priory, Arts and Digital Technology partners to develop proposals for the restoration of the Priory Churchyard. We had our first meeting with the Heritage Lottery in January and are working on a stage one submission by May 2015.
Priory Churchyard Then and Now; talk by Stephen Gardner, Senior Conservation Officer, Lancaster City Council 13th June, 6 – 8 pm (meet at 6 am outside Lancaster Priory)
Coastal Communities Funding Application for St George’s Quay
We have been in contact with the Coastal Communities Fund; we expect to find out if we have been successful with our funding application before the end of March.
Heritage Lancaster: Shaping the Future
An open visioning event is being held on June 22nd at The Storey Institute where we are bringing together leading specialists in Roman archaeology and medieval castles to help us envision the future of Lancaster as one of the UK’s key heritage cities.
The event is free and open to anyone with a perspective on what the future of our city should be.
Event Themes
- Advancing archaeological interpretation of what we have found and how we progress future research and excavation.
- Masterplanning, access, vision for the site.
- Digital data, the future engaging people and communicating.
- Tourism, Castle, City, visitor offer.
Archaeology Panel
Chair: Gill Hey, CEO Oxford Archaeology
Simon Esmonde Cleary, Professor of Roman Archaeology, University of Birmingham
John Goodall, Architectural Editor of Country Life Magazine
David Breeze, Authority on Roman Military Archaeology
Jason Wood, Beyond the Castle Heritage Consultant
John Zant, Project Manager Oxford Archaeology North
David Shotter, Emeritus Professor Lancaster University
Andrew Pearson, Authority on late Roman Military Archaeology
Schedule
10:00
Welcome and Introductions
Plenary Panel
Workshop session
13:00
Lunch by NICE
14:00
Workshop session and networking
16:00
End of Event
Register to attend
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/heritage-lancaster-a-future-for-our-history-tickets-12315948333 or call 01524 593770
Celebrating Local Heritage Data
Shrimping.it Workshop Registration
HackLancaster
The results of the archaeological exploration on Lancaster’s Castle Hill will feature in a special exhibition held in the former A Wing at Lancaster Castle, from 10am on Saturday 29 November to 5pm on Sunday 30 November.
Alongside the exhibition we will be hosting HackLancaster for the first time. A 24hour hackathon supported by The Creative Exchange at Lancaster University. The hackathon will see coders, creatives and the next generation of heritage champions work with the data from the recent survey alongside other data sources including the Urban Archaeological Database. The hackathon will run from 10am on Saturday to 1pm on Sunday. The exhibition will also give visitors a chance to explore and feed into the work taking place during the hackathon.
The recent geophysical survey was carried out by Oxford Archaeology on Vicarage Fields and Quay Meadow, with support from the Heritage Lottery Fund. The results of the survey have now been provided to the Beyond the Castle team and will help with developing plans for future exploration of the site. Take a look at our dedicated site: www.hacklancaster.org
Survey Results Update
It has been a long wait but we have a finalised date for the archaeological survey report (data representation, analysis and recommendations) from Oxford Archaeology – by the end of this week!
Designing the project in such a way that the field work/ development work runs in parallel with the community engagement is risky, difficult and messy, but ultimately the more rewarding approach. We did not want to ‘tag on’ engagement once all the field work and research has been completed, but build it into the process.
We have benefitted greatly and have developed our thinking by meeting and talking to people at events, on site or through social media. Giving people the opportunity to get an insight and help shape the process is what we’d like to call real community archaeology. Warts and all.
The next meeting of the Lancaster and District Heritage Group will be at The Three Mariners on Wednesday 12th November, starting at 7.00pm