Clitheroe Castle Museum to join national celebration with weekend of free activities

Clitheroe Castle Museum will join The Council for British Archaeology's Festival of Archaeology, which is the UK's biggest annual celebration of archaeology, incorporating hundreds of events nationwide. The festival aims to widen participation in archaeology by encouraging people to visit sites of archaeological and historical interest.

County Councillor Peter Buckley, cabinet member for community and cultural services, said: "It's fantastic to see Lancashire joining a national celebration of our history and heritage. We have some amazing archaeological sites in the county and this event will allow visitors to place Clitheroe into its historical context.

"We want to encourage people of all ages to discover the archaeology and heritage of Clitheroe Castle, and this is the perfect opportunity to get up close with this historic site."

On Saturday 22 July, visitors can drop into the Archaeology Hub any time between 11am and 3pm and meet archaeologists and local historians, including local archaeology groups and university professors, who will be on hand for the day to answer your questions and share their knowledge.

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 drop-in 'Corner of Curiosity' will run from 11am to 3pm on 22 and 23 July – a fun zone where kids can play ancient games, try handprint cave art painting, dress-up in historical costumes, and do archaeology-themed activities.

On Saturday 22 July at 11.30am, join a Castle Archaeology Tour. Using artefacts found around Clitheroe and research into the archaeological work done on Castle Hill, visitors will be taken back in time to the history beneath their feet.

On Sunday 23 July, you can book your young archaeologists (age 8+) on one of the kids' activities. Unearth and rebuild artefacts in our Dig Pit or get messy with some clay and make a medieval tile in our Pottery Workshop. Each young archaeologist will receive their very own certificate to take away. Dig Pits sessions will run at 11am and 3pm while the Pottery Workshop will run at 1pm.

Children's activities are free, though places are limited so please phone, email or call in at the museum shop to reserve your place.

While festival events will not cost a penny, an admission fee will apply to the museum with ten amazing galleries to explore including local archaeological finds.

To find out more about what's on at Clitheroe Castle Museum, visit: https://bit.ly/ClitheroeCastleEvents or www.lancashire.gov.uk/museums. 

For more information about Clitheroe Castle Museum, phone 01200 424568 or email clitheroecastle@lancashire.gov.uk.