Bosworth Court Care Home - Aspire Magazine

Diggin’ It
For information on Bosworth Court Care Home
Call 01455 290867
or email bosworthcourt@givecare.co.uk
A Journey Back In Time
With 152,033 square miles of Great Britain to
discover and explore, every region in the country
boasts historical and heritage-rich sites, thanks
to Britain’s vast and varied past.
With a long history of invasions, empires and battles,
every region of the land boasts captivating castles and
pristine palaces, as well as colossal military defences and
strongholds dotted along the coast. Periods of history
have also shaped our towns and cities; soaring spires,
Gothic carvings and gigantic Medieval masterpieces are
a familiar sight, as are stunning Victorian and Georgian
properties, as well as black and white, timber-framed
Tudor homes in towns, cities and villages the length
and breadth of the UK. It’s this rich history that makes
dear ol’ Blighty one of the best countries in the world for
discovering the past and since it’s all on our doorstep, it’s
about time we took a closer look at Britain’s colourful and
eventful past.
Who our ancestors were and how they lived is a great
source of fascination for many of us, particularly as our
lives today are dramatically different to those who lived
in centuries past. The BBC’s popular ‘Who Do You Think
You Are?’ series has inspired many of us to discover more
about our own past and research our family trees, but it’s
also given us a renewed sense of enthusiasm for looking
at how our ancestors lived.
As well as walking in the footsteps of our ancestors at
our country’s castles, stately homes and museums, the
best way to get a real sense of life long forgotten is on an
archaeological dig. Archaeology is defined as ‘the study
of human activity, primarily through the recovery and
analysis of material and environmental data left behind’.
First televised in 1994, Channel 4’s ‘Time Team’ has
inspired a whole new generation of archaeologists. There
are a diverse range of digs taking place across the country
on a daily basis that you and your family or friends can get
involved in. From day digs to holidays with a difference
and from degree course digs to volunteer excavations,
there’s a dig out there for anyone who just can’t leave the
past alone!
Whether you have a lifelong interest in history or just a
casual interest, anyone can get involved with archaeology,
anywhere in the world. The best place to start is in your
local community; contact archaeology or history societies
or clubs to see if they know of any digs in your own
neighbourhood. You could also try contacting your local
university for information on talks, walks, guides and
events local to you. If you’re serious about archaeology,
you may want to consider becoming a member of a of
local or national archaeology organisation, as this will
introduce you to like-minded people, as well as giving you
the opportunity to become involved in actual fieldwork,
Thornton Abbey Medieval
& Monastic Field School
Project Description
Location: Thornton Abbey, Ulceby,
North Lincolnshire, United Kingdom
Season Dates: July 1st 2012 - July 27th 2012
Application Deadline: June 1st 2012
Website: www.sheffield.ac.uk/
archaeology/fieldwork/thornton
Project Director: Dr. Hugh Willmott
Thornton Abbey was founded as an Augustinian priory in 1139 by William Le Gros and
over the next two centuries expanded into one of the richest houses in England. In 1539
the abbey was dissolved by Henry VIII, although it continued to be used as a college of
secular priests until 1547 when it was finally suppressed by Edward VI. After passing through
ownership of the Bishop of Lincoln and the Tyrwhitt family, the abbey was acquired in 1603
by Sir Vincent Skinner. He demolished many of the church buildings to provide building
material for a newly constructed mansion situated close to the medieval gatehouse. The field
school, run by the University of Sheffield, will offer volunteers the opportunity to become
directly involved in geophysical and excavation on the site, helping to unravel more about
the site’s complicated but interesting past.
The field school fee is £195 p/w.
This includes supervision, course materials, all meals, accommodation. We are offering ‘day
taster’ sessions (£50) for those who have never been on an excavation and would like to give
it a go. You’ll get a full tour of the site and the opportunity to try your hand at trowling.
Period(s) of Occupation: medieval, post-medieval, historical, monastic.
Dr Hugh Willmott
Department of Archaeology, University of Sheffield,
Northgate House, West Street
Sheffield, South Yorkshire S14ET
Email: h.willmott@sheffield.ac.uk
working with trained, professional archaeologists.
Archaeological dig are mostly organised and run by
museums, universities and historical societies. Some
of these digs welcome volunteers, whilst others are
restricted to professionals and student archaeologists.
Some digs are long, on-going projects, whilst others take
place over a few days or a couple of weeks, depending on
the extent of the excavation.
You’ll find that archaeologists are friendly people who
love their subject, which is why there are talks and guides
about archaeology nearly every week around the country.
Most archaeologists want to tell people about their
work and encourage others to get involved, so don’t be
afraid to contact archaeologists working or living in your
community to ask them for help and advice. Again, start
by contacting your local archaeology society; if you have
no luck with them, try searching online for your local
government archaeologist, or contact the archaeology
department of your local university.
According to figures from VisitBritain, we’re not the only
ones who are hooked on history; Britain’s national tourism
agency has discovered that the attractions international
holidaymakers most want to see when visiting our shores
are our ancient castles and palaces.
Exciting year for
Piddington Roman Villa Museum
Fine pottery from the continent, glassware,
manicure sets and even oyster shells are just a
few of the ancient Roman artefacts unearthed at
the Piddington Roman Villa in the past 33 years,
at a site occupied from 50BC until the early Fifth
Century.
The Heritage Lottery funded Piddington Roman Villa
Museum, directed by Roy and Liz Friendship-Taylor,
exhibits the historical items discovered at the site
through excavations over the past three decades. The
excavation, which is still on-going today, is conducted
by the Upper Nene Archaeological Society, which is
celebrating its 50th anniversary this year.
The Museum is holding two special events: a Roman
Family Day, on Saturday, 7th July, and an Open Day
on Saturday, 25th August, both 11am – 4:30pm.
Members of the public attending the Family Day will
be able to take part in a range of activities – from
learning about Roman cooking, meeting Roman reenactors
and marvelling at the various artefacts that
detail Roman life.
Liz, who has a long held interest in history, said:
“I have been passionate about history for a long
time; my father was a Latin teacher so I grew up
learning about history before studying History and
Archaeology at university. The site was re-discovered
during farming and the museum was founded in the
disused Wesleyan Chapel in Piddington, after we had
been digging for some years.”
The museum has built close relationships with
schools in Northamptonshire, Peterborough and
Cambridgeshire. School children visit the museum
and are able to dig on the site and enjoy hands-on
activities, such as learning about Roman cooking their
dress, their medicines, writing, farm animals and how
they built their houses. Visits last either half a day or a
whole day.
The excavation at the site is carried out on Sundays,
from Easter to October, as well as a week at Easter
and all of August. The museum is open from 2pm to
5pm on Sunday afternoons; however, due to their
close living proximity to the Museum, Liz and Roy
are happy to arrange other times by appointment.
The admission cost is £3.50 for adults and £2 for
concessions, including children, retired people, village
residents and groups.
Fascinating displays at the museum bring Roman
times to life and detail how it may have been to
be alive as far back as 50BC and it also houses a
study and library. For those who would like to get
involved and perhaps unearth a Roman gem or two
themselves, the museum welcomes volunteers for
excavations and also for various activities at the
Museum.
For further information
please contact Liz on 07752 429911,
email piddington.museum@tiscali.co.uk
or visit www.unas.org.uk
12 ASPIRE
ASPIRE 13