This new project aims to provide a unique opportunity for local people and the wider community to engage in the process of finding out how our landscape was lived in during Medieval times. The project focusses on exploring and excavating a potential medieval house platform in the Peak District partly investigated as part of the successful Peeling Back the Layers project in 2016.

As part of the project, volunteers will be trained in archaeological and history research methods, enabling participants to develop new skills, enrich their knowledge and gain greater confidence in accessing the countryside and its heritage. They will also be doing some specialised Archaeobotanical sampling which will hopefully provide evidence of the range of crops grown, telling the team more about what farming practices might been and what the environment around the farmstead looked like.

In addition to all this, members of the TFIG are researching medieval wills and putting Census results on a spreadsheet which is building up a picture of local residents and their relationships within and beyond the parish of Sheen. The project will put the results of the work in the context of historical research to present a picture of how local people lived in the past and contribute new aspects to the story of Whitle which has been evolving since at least the 14th century.

They're engaging with a diverse range of people who may not previously have been involved in local history and archaeology and giving them a taster of what is involved and the benefits to be had from taking part!

The project is in partnership with the Potteries Museum, who have been really supportive of the project and hope to develop something that could be seen by the people of Stoke-on-Trent. They’re also working on updating out interpretation panels on the ‘Whitle trail’ which is open via a concessionary path around the farmstead.

The fieldwork is going to be taking place between Aug 23rd and Sept 12th, and there’s an ‘open day’ on Sunday Sept 5th.

More:

Tudor Farming Interpretation Group

You can contact the team:

Email: diggingdeeper.underwhitle@outlook.com

Twitter: @digwhitle

Phone: Ian Parker Heath (project manager) 07956 987930