By Ian Marshman, Senior Officer – Historic Environment National Delivery at Natural England.
In this blog, Ian Marshman reflects on An Evening With Natural England’s Archaeologists held on 24th June and looks forward to this summer’s Festival of Archaeology. This year the festival is celebrating archaeology and nature from 18th July to 2nd August, with walks, talks, and hands-on activities across the country.
Archaeology at Natural England
I was excited to be part of an online Evening with Natural England’s Archaeologists on the 24th June hosted by our Chair Tony Juniper and Clemency Cooper from the Council for British Archaeology, who organised the Festival of Archaeology. This year the festival is celebrating archaeology and nature and they invited Natural England to discuss our work.
The cross-cutting theme was how our natural and historic environments are often inseparable, with staff across Natural England engaging with archaeology every day as we work to recover nature for growth, health and security.
As Tony Juniper said there is “a huge synergy that exists between the conservation and recovery of the natural environment with the efforts we need to put in to conserve and enhance the historic environment.”
It isn’t just our handful of historic environment specialists like me, but people right across the organisation. From our advisors working with farmers to restore habitats and protect rural heritage, to the staff and volunteers caring for National Nature Reserves (NNRs), we are all working in places that have been shaped by the interaction of people and nature over centuries.
Natural England’s mission is building partnership for nature’s recovery, and this includes archaeologists and heritage professionals. We work closely with partners at Historic England, local authorities and national parks who run the 80+ local Historic Environment Records across England.
An example of this is our new publication on Managing Registered Battlefields, which was launched at the event. We developed this jointly with partners at Historic England, Forestry Commission and the Battlefields Trust to show how these special places can deliver more for people, nature and heritage. It’s a supplement to our existing Nature Recovery and the Historic Environment guide.
If you go into the woods today…
The launch of the Festival of Archaeology will be at Westonbirt, the National Arboretum on Saturday 18th July. With Forestry England kindly providing free entry for the day. There will be walks, talks, workshops and demonstrations of bronze casting, coppicing and charcoal making. Natural England and the Countryside Code will be there too with archaeology and nature crafts.
Natural England and our partners will be leading guided walks and activities throughout the Festival to help you connect with the nature and archaeology near you. I have chosen some highlights below.
There is a rare chance to visit Ravensburgh Castle, the largest hill fort in the Chilterns, hidden beneath trees near Hexton. Join our tour to find out more about the site’s history and its future as part of Natural England’s vision for landscape-scale nature recovery in the North Chilterns.
Forestry England will be leading a walk exploring if the trees of Sherwood Forest NNR could talk, in this most legendary of ancient woodlands.
Partners at the South West Heritage Trust are expecting a Viking Invasion with reenactors at the Avalon Marshes Centre in the Somerset Wetlands NNR.
Adventures on the King Charles III Coast Path & the Kings Series of NNRs
At North Walney NNR near Barrow-in-Furness we’ll be leading a walk to celebrate the island’s nature and history, and how it has been shaped by the Vikings, rabbit warrens and the military.
NNR staff at the Ribble Estuary in Merseyside will be leading a walk along the coast path, birdwatching on the way, to visit the place where a German aircraft was shot down during World War II.
You can also join us for a journey through time into the Bradford Pennine Gateway NNR, which was declared last year as part of the King’s Series of NNRs, created to celebrate the Coronation of King Charles III. From its gritstone geology, to prehistoric rock art, the birth of the Industrial Revolution and modern history have all left their trace. There will also be family-friendly activities at Bracken Hall Countryside Centre.
Partners at Bradgate Park NNR near Leicester, which is also part of the King’s Series, are holding a Family Fun Day. With archaeology activities including a dig pit, spear throwing, and real Stone Age tools inspired by the site’s rare Ice Age camp, which was recorded as part of the park’s Countryside Stewardship agreement.
There’s another link to His Majesty King Charles III, as he is Patron of the Council for British Archaeology, and it’s a little-known fact that the King studied archaeology as a student.
Next door nature and archaeology
In Manchester we’ll be leading a walk through popular and lesser-known greenspaces in the city centre, on the hunt for urban archaeology and wildlife, with the help of partners at the National Trust and Landsec.
At Barnack Hills & Holes NNR near Peterborough we’ll be exploring the geology, archaeology and nature of this unique undulating landscape, which was produced by quarrying to create medieval marvels like Peterborough and Ely Cathedrals.
In Sutton Coldfield in the West Midlands partners are leading both a talk and a walk at Sutton Park NNR, looking at how its woodland, heathland and grassland has been shaped by thousands of years of human activity.
For full details of these events and more visit the Festival of Archaeology website. Please note pre-booking is required for some events.
You can also find a selection of online Festival Resources to try at home. This includes printable crafts, videos, and the Peat the Lapwing Game where players can restore a bog encountering archaeology and wildlife on the way.
