Clitheroe Castle Museum joins UK’s largest archaeology festival

Clitheroe Castle Museum will join this year’s Festival of Archaeology, hosting a diverse range of events and activities spread over a two-week calendar.

From Thursday 11  July to Saturday 27 July, the museum will open its doors for two weeks of fun and discovery, with both free and paid activities ranging from pottery to armchair archaeology. There will also be bookable sessions for aspiring young archaeologists.

Claire Sutton, Clitheroe Castle Museum’s manager, said:

“We are happy to be repeating our annual tradition of joining the UK-wide Festival of Archaeology.

“We hope to see budding archaeologists of all ages come through our doors in the next couple of weeks. There is something for everyone.”

Guest speaker and senior UCLan lecturer Dr Allison Stewart will kick off the festival by sinking her teeth into a presentation entitled Teeth Tell Tales, exploring how archaeologists use teeth to learn about the lives of people from the past. Dr Rick Peterson will follow on Tuesday 16 July for a workshop and talk on Neolithic Pottery. Participants will have the opportunity to handle replicas and create their own pot to take home.

For a celebration of all things archaeological, come along on Saturday 20 July, for the Archaeology Festival and Community Hub Day. From 11am to 3pm, local archaeologists and experts will be available to answer questions and share their knowledge.

Specialists from different eras, ranging from prehistory to the industrial era, and from various fields, including artefact conservation and archaeological technologies, will be present to share their expertise. Portable Antiquities Lancashire and Cumbria will also be in the hub, so attendees are encouraged to bring their own artefacts for identification.

Young archaeologists can explore the ‘Corner of Curiosity’ and ‘Rooms of Discovery,’ fun zones where children can play ancient games, discover artefacts in a dig pit, and dress up in historical costumes. There will also be archaeology-themed crafts and activities, and children can earn a Junior Archaeologist certificate and sticker by completing a checklist of archaeology-themed tasks.

While most festival events can be accessed for free, entry to Clitheroe Castle Museum costs £5, with under-18s going free. The exhibition inside the museum features exhibits on the archaeology and prehistory of Ribble Valley.

Clitheroe Castle Museum is managed by Lancashire County Council’s Museum Service on behalf of Ribble Valley Borough Council. To find out more about the full programme of festival events, visit Clitheroe Castle’s events page here.