If you are visiting on behalf of a local society, community or academic group, please email us details of future events at emherf@yorkat.co.uk.
You can also click here to see how to contribute information on current news and events in the region.
Work has been carried out in 2018 and 2019 to form a vision for the Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site and to agree a number of aims, objectives and actions to help deliver that vision.
The vision: Create and promote a local, national and international understanding and identity for the Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site as a cohesive and coherent whole, based on its global significance for all of humankind.
From 11 October to 8 November 2019, the DVMWHS Co-ordination Team is seeking views on the latest version of the document, for final changes to be made in November. The Plan will then be submitted to Historic England and the Department of Digital, Culture, Media and Sport for clearance, before being submitted to UNESCO in January 2020. A low resolution version of the draft Management Plan is available to read or download here. Comments would be very welcome. Please email these to info@derwentvalleymills.org by 5pm on Friday 8 November 2019.
Research grants from the Leicestershire Archaeological & Historical Society: funding is available for research into the archaeology, architectural history and history of Rutland and Leicestershire. Proposals for research placing evidence from Rutland and Leicestershire within a broader regional or national framework are also welcome, as are applications from non-members. For more information see http://ow.ly/FwSA30i6Fs3
John Taylor Bellfoundry (Loughborough): Saving the Last Major Bellfoundry in Britain: Loughborough Bellfoundry Trust was founded in 2016 to hold the site in perpetuity, protect its unique archives, manufacturing methods and tools, and prepare a basis for pursuing the comprehensive restoration of the buildings. It has been working with John Taylor & Co. to develop proposals for the future of the site and a grant application was submitted to Heritage Lottery Fund in winter 2017. The Trust is actively campaigning to raise awareness and gain evidence of support. http://ow.ly/PbfZ30jqUWJ
New publication: The Medieval Earthworks of South & South East Leicestershire: This new book by Robert Hartley, published in conjunction with the Leicestershire Fieldworkers, is available to purchase through http://ow.ly/p9ML30kRhhm. A set of talks this September will also share some of its findings. For more information see http://ow.ly/JvPs30kRhjc
Benington Community Heritage Trust (BCHT): free heritage skills sessions: BCHT is currently transforming All Saints Church into a community centre and events venue. In conjunction with the Churches Conservation Trust members are running a number of free ‘hard hat’ heritage training sessions in and around the church building. These will be of particular interest to anyone involved in the upkeep, regeneration or conversion of a historic building. Booking is required and is managed through Eventbrite. https://buff.ly/2tiuBh3
Explore Churches: Great Interpretations: in spring 2018 the HLF awarded the National Churches Trust a grant to work with 36 churches in Lincolnshire to improve their interpretation and tourism information resources http://ow.ly/kwhJ30jznR2
The Northamptonshire HER is now available on the Heritage Gateway: https://buff.ly/2oaOvsp
New app makes visible 13th-century Northampton Castle: a new virtual reality app commissioned by the Friends of Northampton Castle makes visible the medieval castle as it could have been in 1222. Take a tour around the castle, see what life was like for its residents, participate in mini games and quests, learn about preparations for a tournament, uncover local legends, and watch the tournament unfold. Available to download free of charge at http://ow.ly/AkDB30i6WWH
Northamptonshire Heritage: discover the county’s historic environment with the Northamptonshire Heritage portal. Search for heritage sites and assets of specific types by parish, postcode or map location, browse thematic articles and discussions, and access historic landscape character areas in the Northamptonshire Environmental Character and Green Infrastructure Suite. Also includes links to further information on archives, archaeology, planning, the Historic Environment Record (HER) and the Portable Antiquities Scheme. The site can be accessed at http://ow.ly/vQ8X30i6WYk
Heritage Lottery Fund support awarded to ‘Sharing Repton’: A Heritage Lottery Fund grant has been awarded to the Garden Trust for a project based around five Humphry Repton sites, working with local volunteers to deliver pilot activities. The project will also create an infrastructure of skill sharing, guidance materials and training workshops. The five sites include Northamptonshire’s Wicksteed Park (in association with Northamptonshire Gardens Trust), and the Gardens Trust would like to hear from anybody wanting to participate or to link into the skill sharing and training. Contact repton@thegardenstrust.org for information.
Dates For Your Diary
General News and Events
National Lottery funding awarded to Nottinghamshire County Council and partners: in July 2018 a major grant was awarded for “From Miner to Major: The Real Sherwood Forest”. Local communities will be given the skills and knowledge to look after the landscape, through restoring vital heathland, protection and conservation of ancient trees, and local history projects mapping Sherwood over the past 100 years https://buff.ly/2LEnN5e
Heritage Lottery Fund support for the Battle of Hatfield Investigation Society: an HLF grant, awarded in spring 2018, and a donation from SolarCentury have made possible a new ‘Warriors Through the Landscape’ project investigating the impact of warriors and battles on the historic landscape of Cuckney. The project will include LiDAR, topographical survey and fieldwork, with opportunities for community involvement https://buff.ly/2JLtnpy
Action plan to address the challenge of sustainable management of archaeological archives: A new action plan has been developed by Historic England and Arts Council England, in conjunction with a number of heritage organisations. Key features include: investigating the potential for national or regional repositories; understanding and promoting access and use; clarifying issues of ownership and title transfer; exploring sensible charging frameworks; increasing the focus on retaining only what is truly significant; and exploring new technologies and methods of storage. More information can be found at http://ow.ly/V6UJ30kRrxW
National Pipe Archive online: a new Historic England-funded digitisation project makes available online some of the key elements of the National Pipe Archive and promotes best practice by drawing up new guidelines for the recovery, processing and identification of tobacco pipes from archaeological projects. https://buff.ly/2zl0StU
Changing War Memorials Survey: The Century of Stories research project on Changing War Memorials seeks your knowledge, thoughts, experiences and photographs relating to First World War memorials both local to you and more widely across the UK. It is also interested in finding out about memorials that have evolved over time.As a thank you, respondents will be entered into a prize draw to win an Amazon voucher. See
Enriching The List (ETL) project, Historic England: Historic England is looking for new volunteers who can search its online collections for images of listed sites. This is a virtual volunteering project that enables users of the National Heritage List for England (NHLE) to share their knowledge and photos of protected heritage sites on The List in their own local area https://buff.ly/2k2Q0qd
Mick Aston Archaeology Fund (MAAF): applications now open: Grants are available to voluntary groups, societies and individuals seeking funding for innovative research projects that enhance understanding of local heritage through the direct involvement of the community. Project proposals can cover any aspect of the archaeological research, from the production and analysis of data including excavation, geophysics, buildings recording, landscape survey, experimental archaeology and field walking. Applications are also welcomed from projects using new methods of engagement and dissemination that will help introduce a wider audience to archaeology, and also from projects involving excavations relating to metal detecting spot finds. More information is available at https://buff.ly/2FoZbcR
Roman Rural Settlement Project: the project’s database of 209 records from 23 sample defended small towns is now available to download via the Archaeology Data Service at http://ow.ly/SXQs30j7rpO
Celebrating Our Woodland Heritage: this national interdisciplinary conference takes place at the University of Bradford on 16-18 November 2018. It explores key themes that can broaden our horizons and improve connections between all areas of society interested in woodland history. The call for abstracts closes on 22 June. Posters are also invited. See https://buff.ly/2kyyHxv
Rockart CARE: new app for recording open-air rock art: open-air Neolithic and Early Bronze Age rock art, created between 6,000 and 3,800 years ago, is at risk. This new app can be downloaded by anyone and used to log the art’s location and condition, the state of the motifs and potential threats. This data is then sent to the Heritage and Science: Working Together in the CARE of Rock Art project team and to local heritage officials. The project is a collaboration between Newcastle University and Queen’s University Belfast, funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council and Newcastle University. Download the free app at https://buff.ly/2A5oH4c or https://buff.ly/2CtoTAk
Sites and Skills of the Late Ice Age
“Hidden Histories, Hidden Historians”: Manchester Histories have launched a free Heritage Lottery Funded set of beginner guide toolkits for amateur historical and local heritage research! The toolkit offers a step by step guide to formulating a research project, how to develop your research skills, and how to organise and share your research. To find out more about this historical resource, visit: https://manchesterhistories.co.uk/getinvolved/toolkits
East Midlands Heritage Forum occasional bulletin: the latest bulletin identifies 6 areas of need for voluntary organisations involved in the preservation of historic buildings in the East Midlands, and seeks to build a collective picture of the support, advice and resources currently available. It also includes updates on Operation Heritage, the County Gardens Trusts, Heritage Counts and the region’s two HAZs, plus news on funding and recently published guidance. It can be accessed at http://ow.ly/NtS430jqWhK
Working Lives: Heritage Lottery Fund East Midlands: in April 2018 HLF East Midlands launched a new campaign seeking to encourage funding applications for projects exploring working lives and life at work in the distant and more recent past. Subjects relating to the historic environment might include, for example, working culture, working conditions and workplaces, and their legacies and survival https://buff.ly/2Ktfc5n
Funding awarded by the Heritage Lottery Fund in 2018: for a list of projects in the region awarded funding in 2018 see https://buff.ly/2tijDb8
Part of the Research Frameworks Network