UNCOVERING LOCAL HISTORY Thursday, 2 February 2017
Pupils from five schools in Bishop Auckland are working with Historic England and Auckland Castle Trust to understand the heritage of their local area and the impact it has had on modern day life.
Those taking part include students from Escomb Primary School, Toft Hill School, Cockton Hill Junior School, St Anne’s C of E Primary School and St John’s School and Sixth Form College.
Each group is taken on a tour of Bishop Auckland Market Place, where they have the chance to learn about the architecture of the buildings, as well as the lives of the people that lived there from Victorian times until 1911.
With support from Auckland Castle Trust’s Education Officer, Ruth Chittenden, they are also encouraged to conduct further research in the Town Hall library using census records.
Taking into account everything they have learnt, the groups then return to school to undertake their own heritage based projects. Those already underway include an exploration of family life in Bishop Auckland 100 years ago, a comparison of modern and historic maps and a look at the occupations of their ancestors.
This forms part of the national Heritage Schools initiative run by Historic England.
For more information about the full range of educational activities available through Auckland Castle Trust email [email protected] to take part.