A project that will uncover Cumbria’s past is to launch with an outdoor heritage trail for families to enjoy.
The Uncovering the Past project aims to discover, research and share new stories about the Fellfoot Forward area’s past, through community engagement with archaeology, historical research, and oral history.
A programme of training and events for the local community will be delivered by partners DigVentures with the aim of providing communities with the skills to develop future projects.
The heritage trail will take place in Croglin village, near Armathwaite, on July 11 between 11am and 3pm with timed entry slots to maintain social distancing.
The trail will explore some of the hidden history of Croglin and include three ‘checkpoints’ where a storyteller will entertain visitors with a short historical tale or account, relating to their location.
Hidden history
Points of interest include Croglin Church, views over Fellfoot’s ‘Sacred Landscape’, and an account of ‘The Old Pele’, given by the chair of Cumbria Vernacular Buildings Group.
The trail will take between one to two hours to complete and booking timeslots are available for individuals, ‘bubbles’, or family units.
The Uncovering the Past project will use a ‘historic village atlas’ approach for Roman, medieval and industrial history, linking to research already being done by local historians as part of the nationwide Victoria Counties History (VCH) project.
Uncovering the Past will build on VCH research, focussing on villages not already studied in the Fellfoot Forward area or building on what is already known, allowing volunteers to pursue their own areas of interest.
In 2022 surveys of archaeological sites will begin, using a range of techniques, all deliverable by local people with appropriate levels of training and supervision.
Oral histories
The capturing of oral histories from the scheme area will be undertaken by volunteers who will be provided with equipment and training to run sessions, with members of the community encouraged to share their stories relating to a specific topic such as music, farming, education or a more general recollection around an aspect of past practices, village life or more recent significant events.
The survey information will be recorded as part of the Historic Environment Register for Cumbria and shared with North Pennines Historic Environment Working Group. Oral histories and any other relevant material will be lodged with the Cumbria Archive Services in Carlisle, and the findings will feed into the Victoria Counties local history research.
Anyone interested in volunteering as part of the Uncovering the Past project should email [email protected]
Tickets for the heritage trail on July 11 are available online at www.northpennines.org.uk/history-trail-croglin/
The North Pennines AONB Partnership’s Fellfoot Forward Landscape Partnership Scheme (LPS) is a major project for people and nature which focuses on part of the AONB and stretches beyond the AONB boundary down to the lowlands by the River Eden.
