Clitheroe Castle Museum to celebrate Festival of Archaeology 2022 with day of free activities
Clitheroe Castle will dig deep into its past this month to celebrate the Festival of Archaeology.
The annual event is organised by the Council for British Archaeology and aims to widen participation in archaeology by encouraging people to visit sites of archaeological and historical interest.
On Saturday 23 July, a number of free activities are being held at Clitheroe Castle, which is managed by Lancashire County Council's museum service on behalf of Ribble Valley Borough Council.
Using artefacts found around Clitheroe and new research into the archaeological work done on Castle hill, visitors will be taken back in time and explore the history beneath your feet. The Castle Archaeology Tour starts at 2pm and will take about 45 minutes.
Junior archaeologists will have the chance to unearth artefacts in the museum's dig pits, clean and identify finds and get messy with some clay to make a medieval tile. Young ones who finish the artefact trail in the museum will also receive their very own certificate to take away. The sessions will run 11am to 12pm and 12.30pm to 1.30pm.
A group of local archaeologists will also be on hand for the day to answer questions and share their knowledge about the history of Clitheroe Castle and the Ribble Valley. People can drop in any time 11am to 3pm.
The Finds Liaison Officers from Portable Antiquities Lancashire and Cumbria will also be on hand, so visitors can bring along their discoveries for identification.
The Castle Archaeology Tour and the children's activities are free, though places are limited so please phone, email or call in at the museum shop to reserve your place.
County Councillor Peter Buckley, cabinet member for community and cultural services, said: "Lancashire County Council's museum service have organised an exciting and varied programme of activities to celebrate this year's Festival of Archaeology.
"We want to encourage people to discover the archaeology and heritage of Clitheroe Castle, and this is the perfect opportunity to get up and close with this historic site."
To find out more about what's on at Clitheroe Castle Museum, visit: https://bit.ly/ClitheroeCastleEvents
For more information about Clitheroe Castle Museum, phone 01200 424568 or email clitheroecastle@lancashire.gov.uk
Alternatively, visit www.lancashire.gov.uk/museums
Notes to editors
More information on the Festival of Archaeology, 16 – 13 July 2022
https://www.archaeologyuk.org/festival.html
"The CBA Festival of Archaeology incorporates hundreds of in-person and virtual events delivered by community groups, heritage organisations, universities, commercial units, and more.
It promotes involvement in archaeology through flagship days such as “A Day in Archaeology” and “Youth Day” and allows individuals to get involved from wherever they are, all year round, through our wide range of downloadable resources. Through the Festival, the CBA helps over half a million people to participate in archaeology, explore stories of place, and connect with the environment around them.
Each year the Festival has a dynamic and engaging theme. The theme for 2022 is Journeys. Journeys happen at every scale, through space, time and personal experience. Journeys include daily commutes, trade routes and migrations. Journeys cross land and sea or take place within yourself as a personal journey.
We want to encourage people to discover the archaeology and heritage that is all around them and to explore and share their own or learn about other journeys. Unearthing the journey of sites, buildings, places, people, and events that make our local communities so special.
If you want to find out more about how you can get involved in the Festival of Archaeology contact the team at festival@archaeologyuk.org."