Iron Age Day and Roundhouse Build
Cheshire West and Chester Council’s Habitats and Hillforts project welcomed the Mayor and Mayoress of Chester to officially open the replica Iron Age Roundhouse at the Burwardsley Outdoor Education Centre as a part of the Iron Age Open Day on Saturday 18 September 2010
Celebrating the 40th anniversary of Burwardsley Outdoor Centre, the Open Day included the opening of the Roundhouse built by Chris Park, also know as Celtic Chris of Acorn Education. The Roundhouse will act as a teaching aid helping to bring archaeology to life for children. Round Houses were the dominant building style of late prehistoric Britain and would have been common to Cheshire throughout the Iron Age.
Over 200 people attended the event and were able to watch demonstrations of Iron Age techniques such as making fire, bread and Iron Age jewellery, with over 200 people opportunity to have a go yourself.
Replica Achaeological dig takes shape on West Cheshire's Mid Sandstone Ridge
Habitats and Hillforts are working in partnership with Cheshire West and Chester Council’s Outdoor Education Service to help bring to life archaeology for children.
A mock archaeological dig has been created within the grounds of Burwardsley Outdoor Education Centre which is sited close to Beeston Castle and Maiden Castle, both of which have remains of Iron Age hillforts.
Based on the remains of an Iron Age roundhouse, the dig will provide a real ‘time team’ experience for children to be able to excavate the remains and record any finds that they may unearth.
Habitats and Hillforts funding has enabled a new member of staff to join the Outdoor Service Team and Martin Kirkman will be working at the centre to deliver this new initiative.
He said: “This exciting new resource offers schools in Cheshire a fantastic opportunity to use the environment of the Sandstone Ridge in conjunction with the archaeological dig to provide a Cross Curricular Skills – based teaching approach to sessions at the Burwardsley Centre covering many subjects.”
Children will be unearthing the remains using buckets and trowels, and once artefacts have been revealed they will have the opportunity to identify and compare them to the real thing.
Ellie Soper, Project Manager for the Scheme said: “This is a fantastic opportunity for schools across Cheshire to become involved, helping to bring archaeology alive’
