Volunteer Focus Winter/Spring 2018

Volunteer Focus Together we’re making a difference

HAVE YOUR SAY A first look at our survey results

2018 ISSUE 13

Spring is Sprung Meet volunteers as they help prepare for springtime

INSIDE: Discovering Iron Bridge | We did it! | A day in the life | News and more...

VOLUNTEER OFFER

10% OFF YOUR BOOKING

ENTER YOUR VOLUNTEER DISCOUNT CODE

From medieval castles to Queen Victoria’s seaside retreat, come and stay in the places where history happened.

By booking a break in one of 19 on-site holiday cottages you can experience our sites after hours and explore the grounds all by yourself.

When you book, you’ll benefit from:

■ ■ ■ ■

Complimentary entry to English Heritage sites Orientation tour by our teams on the ground Priority access to events 10% off in our tearooms & shops

To order a brochure or book your holiday:

Visit www.english-heritage.org.uk/holidaycottages or call 0370 333 1187

*Valid for stays as of the 1st February 2018 until 31st March 2019. Cannot be combined with any other offer.

VFOC18

The English Heritage Trust is a charity, no. 1140351, and a company, no. 07447221, registered in England.

DISCOVER OUR HOLIDAY COTTAGES

WElCoME

Hello and welcome

on the cover: Brodsworth hall volunteers help with bulbs at Mount grace Priory, house and gardens.

If you’d like to contribute to the next edition of Volunteer Focus or if you have any feedback on this issue, we’d love to hear from you:

to your new look Volunteer Focus.

My name is Kayleigh and I am the Assistant Editor Volunteer.

I’ve really enjoyed helping to revamp the magazine, and would like to introduce two brand-new sections: RoUnD UP (page 7) is a collection of themed news submitted by our volunteers. This edition’s theme is gardens, with stories about bulb planting, award winning, and visitor numbers. our other new section, ovER To YoU (page 34), is a space where we would like everyone to be able to contribute with letters, puzzles, photos, and anything you want to share. our big feature is on FEAST! (page 26) which is a new exhibition at stonehenge. It was delightful to hear from so many stonehenge volunteers who were excited about the exhibition and the new skills they learned. They also kindly provided a recipe for any cheese-loving volunteers (I count myself among you) to try at home.

kayleigh Telling, Assistant Editor Volunteer

volunteer.enquiries @english-heritage.org.uk www.english-heritage.org.uk/ volunteering 01793 414752 If you’d like this document in a different format, please contact: 0370 333 1181 01793 414878 01793 414926 customers@english-heritage.org.uk Assistant Editor Kayleigh Telling Article Editor Anneka coleman Designer Bronwen reeves Account Manager lianne Watson client Services Julie Butterworth The English Heritage Trust is a charity, no. 1140351, and a company, no. 07447221, registered in England.

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CoNtENtS

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F E at u r E S

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ro u ND u P

News from our gardens

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haVE Yo u r SaY

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Pro JEC t ProF Il E: Iro N B rID g E

Volunteer survey 2017

English Heritage takes on a giant of the Industrial revolution

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Pro JEC t ProFIl E: FEaS t!

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Yo u r S to r IES

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A new exhibition at stonehenge

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My personal restoration

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NEWS

Find out what’s been happening

WE DID It!

A successful new team at ranger’s House

our h E ro E S

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SKI l l B uI l D I Ng

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W r E St Pa r K E VE N t S

A volunteer’s journey at Audley End

Volunteers had a legendary time during st. George’s day

The team at Wharram Percy repackage thousands of artefacts

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W h Y I l oVE . . .

a DaY I N t h E l I F E

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oVE r to Yo u

We hear from an osborne gardener

l Et ’ S g o to. . .

carisbrooke castle

Tilbury Fort

We want to hear from you

nEWS All the latest news and notices from across English Heritage.

tintagel Castle, forever linked with the myth of King arthur

Spring opening times will be earlier in 2018

Party under the great oak

A RigHT RoYAl gARDEn PARTY

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n bank holiday Monday, Boscobel House held a garden party for its volunteers.

We received this lovely snap from Daisy lambert, site Manager, of everybody enjoying themselves at the party. It was held on site, in the beautiful 17th-century knot garden – it is said that charles II spent time reading in the arbour atop the mound there. Boscobel House is of course famous as one of the king’s hideaways during his exile after the Battle of Worcester in 1651.

We hope everybody had a good time at the party – a well-earned treat for our brilliant volunteers.

SHARE YOUR NEWS We’d love to hear from you by email at volunteer.enquiries@english-heritage.org.uk or call us on 01793 414752

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ake use of your volunteer pass and start your springtime adventures early with our extended opening times. Beginning February 2018, a number of our most popular sites are opening early for the new season, and just in time for the February half term.

Whether you want a legendary trip to Tintagel castle or would prefer time for quiet reflection in the cloisters of Lanercost Priory, there will be a site open to suit you.

Be an early bird and visit the places you haven’t crossed off your list yet. To find participating sites and full details of opening times, go to: www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit

get 10% oFF at English Heritage shops and cafés with your pass or quote code EhVD18 to receive the discount in our online shop. english-heritage.org.uk 5

NEWS

BoScoBEl HoUSE ScooPS AWARD

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From left: Kelly Norman and Darcy-adele lloyd

oscobel House were finalists in the ‘Audiences’ category of the West Midlands Volunteer Awards, in recognition of individuals or teams who have consistently delivered excellent customer service. Kelly Norman and volunteer Darcy-Adele lloyd attended the ceremony at the Birmingham Hippodrome on 19th September to officially receive their well-deserved award.

The awards were established to recognise and reward the

invaluable work and significant contribution made by volunteers to the museum sector. They are a great way to acknowledge excellent volunteers and give something back to them.

Huge congratulations to the volunteer team at Boscobel House for your achievement. It is testament to the great work that you have done, and continue to do, and your dedication to the site. We hope there are many more awards to come.

Now you can help us by eating out

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hat could be better than eating out? What about eating out and supporting your favourite charity at the same time?

That is the aim of our new partnership with charitable Bookings, with support from Wiltons. charitable Bookings works with restaurants across the country to help diners contribute to their chosen charities. When you book through their website or app, selecting English Heritage as your preferred charity, £1 for every member of your party will be donated to us at no cost to you.

To find a restaurant, simply sign up to charitable Bookings for free at: www.charitablebookings.com/english-heritage

e are delighted to announce the launch of a new partnership with Google Arts & Culture, a non-profit arm of Google committed to helping bring art, culture, history and heritage to everyone through technology. Thanks to their help and using the latest digital technology, the stories of 29 English Heritage sites across England, from Tintagel castle in cornwall to Hadrian’s Wall; previously unseen artefacts; rarely opened archaeological stores and inaccessible masterpieces are now being brought to life and shared with an international audience via the Google Arts & culture platform. To see the platform visit: www.google.com/culturalinstitute/beta/project/english-heritage

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is there something exciting happening? Have you just received an award?

Have you got a new exhibition or partnership? or do you just want to show off how great your volunteers are? Email us with your stories at volunteer.enquiries@english-heritage.org.uk or call us on 01793 414752 LInE cARLO WS HE MATT

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your volunteer pass allows FrEE ENtrY for you plus one adult to all English Heritage managed properties. Present your volunteer pass to get 10% oFF at English Heritage shops and cafés.

Quote code EhVD18 to receive the discount in our online shop.

ROU N D U P

What’s Been Happening in the Gardens?

Thank you to everybody who contributed to Round Up, our new feature which shares stories and news about a particular theme. This time it’s gardens.

Bulb Planting on an Epic Scale Mount Grace Priory gardens spring forth with the planting of 27,000 bulbs.

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ount Grace, a wonderfully preserved Carthusian priory in North Yorkshire, has seen a transformation of its gardens ready for spring. In November 2017, as part of the new garden and landscaping scheme, 27,000 bulbs including Narcissus bulbicodium var. conspicuous and Anemone nemorosa, as well as lesser known varieties such as Muscari

armeniacum and Camassia ‘Blue Heaven’, were planted to cover almost 900m2 of gardens. The gardens are to benefit from this planting scheme thanks to The Wolfson Foundation.

Garden designer and broadcaster Chris Beardshaw was appointed as creative lead on the gardens project, with the English Heritage garden team supporting him. Staff and volunteers

from Mount Grace and Brodsworth Hall set to work and each member of the team planted on average 2,000 bulbs.

Brodsworth Hall gardens recently won two Yorkshire in Bloom Awards, and it is hoped that this monumental planting endeavour will bring similar acclaim to the gardens at Mount Grace. ► english-heritage.org.uk 7

ROU N D U P

Left Down House in bloom Above Brodsworth Hall gardeners help with bulbs at Mount Grace Right A bird’s-eye view of Audley End Gardens

Garden Tour at Audley End Approaches 10,000 Visitors

The Evolution of Volunteer Roles at Darwin’s House

he gardens at Audley End are a wonder of 18th-century design and the walled kitchen garden is an entirely organic enterprise. Viewed from Audley End house, the landscape is a panorama of open space filled with life. The gardens are colourful in all seasons and attract visitors throughout the year.

Audley End is drawing ever nearer to an impressive milestone of 10,000 garden tour visitors. In 2017 alone, 1,600 visitors came to wander the beautiful gardens; this is less than the previous two years, due to filming that required full site closure for several weeks, which makes the total number that much more impressive. As it stands, Audley End’s garden tour has had 8,854 visitors in the last five years – it appears to be safe to assume that the 10,000 visitor milestone will be reached within the next year or two.

Obviously, the success of the garden tour owes a lot to the hard work of our wonderful volunteers, so thanks and congratulations are in order for everyone who has given their time and talent to the site.

olunteer numbers have skyrocketed at Down House, the Home of Charles Darwin, with the creation of several exciting new volunteer positions including roles in the glasshouse, gardens and administration.

Kristyna Slivova, a gardener at Down House, said, ‘Before, we were often just catching up with work. But with so many more people, we can finally get ahead of the game and dare to have new and exciting goals.’

Volunteering to recreate Darwin’s experiments has been particularly popular. Volunteers in this role are delving into Darwin’s world of science and history and are bringing his experiments to life. These experiments led Darwin to many conclusions, and are the special feature that distinguishes Down House from any other garden.

Many of these experiments won’t have been recreated in the garden since Darwin’s time’ and thanks to our volunteers, Down House can now share more of the intellectual journey that eventually led Darwin to postulate his famous theories. We’ll report back on the findings in the next edition.

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GET IN TOUCH Please send us your theme ideas for the next edition’s Round Up.

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rouND uP

AWARD-Winning gARDEnS oF 2017 English Heritage excelled at the Britain in Bloom awards last year. Discover what it’s like to volunteer in our award-winning gardens.

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ight English Heritage gardens received coveted Gold or silver Gilt awards at the 2017 regional Britain in Bloom Awards. These prestigious honours recognise the importance of our historic gardens, and the dedication and hard work of those involved. osborne, carisbrooke and Walmer castle, Eltham Palace, Down House and Wrest Park were all winners.

To find out more about the life of a garden volunteer, we spoke to suzanne and Tom, who help at the final two award-winning gardens, at Audley End and Brodsworth Hall.

With more people, we can finally get ahead of the game and dare to have new and exciting goals

YorKShIrE golD WINNEr: BroDSWorth hall Tom Higginbottom, a volunteer at Brodsworth Hall, is busy planting hundreds of narcissi bulbs when we speak. ‘I’m a relative new boy, having been here three years,’ he says, ‘some have volunteered for more than twenty years, but we’re already great friends.

It’s the sharing of knowledge and the ongoing learning that got me hooked, as well as the numbers and enthusiasm of the visitors, especially when they return and remark on the changes. I also get to enjoy habitats and butterflies I wouldn’t see in my own garden. If you’re retired, it’s a lovely way of meeting people and aNglIa golD WINNEr: keeping fit’. auDlEY END Tom is one of 34 volunteers who ‘Joining Audley End is one of the best things I’ve done,’ says suzanne yiannakou, work with Head Gardener, Daniel Hale.

‘We simply couldn’t manage without a tour guide and garden volunteer. them,’ says Dan. ‘I live locally and every ‘This year an extra time I drive past I’m learning the 14 volunteers joined, thrilled to be a part of its but more are always traditional skill history and one of its 60 welcome!’ And the volunteers. In five years, of willow weaving secret to his success?

I’ve rarely done the same ‘It’s important to was one of the job twice, because the help them grow their fashions and foibles of highlights of skills, so they feel that successive owners have they’re learning.’ volunteering created such a varied And the final word landscape. The formal goes to christopher parterre gives way to the Weddell, senior Gardens Adviser. ‘We’re Elysian secret garden – ideal for illicit delighted to have won the awards – trysts, and then there is the unmissable testament to the hard work of the kitchen garden, with its orchard, exotic garden team staff and volunteers – fruits, mushroom house, and vinery. it’s a great opportunity to showcase our gardeners willingly share their the breadth of horticulture and to knowledge so my skills have improved promote the community. By faithfully tenfold, and I love the fresh ideas they conserving the gardens we can bring the bring, whilst remaining sensitive to story of England to life, whilst constantly history. It’s sociable too, because stimulating and inspiring visitors with we’ll work as a team and chat away’. what we do’. ■ english-heritage.org.uk 9

HA V E Y OUR S A Y

Survey Results A first look at the feedback from our volunteer survey.

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s many of you will know, it’s been a while since we undertook our last full survey of the volunteer programme back in 2014. Ideally we’d have carried out the next survey in 2016 but at that point we’d just asked you for your opinions on the development of the new charity strategy. As such, we feared you would all have survey fatigue if we asked you to complete another survey so soon.

Perhaps waiting a little longer as we did is the reason why we had such a fantastic level of response this time. 842 people took part, that’s 42% of you and we’re so grateful you did, as it gives us a really good body of results to analyse and understand. We would like to say a huge thank you to all those who took part.

The results are in As you know, Agenda Consulting has been assisting us with the survey and we are just finalising the reports that will be made available to every site and team.

In the meantime, we wanted to take the opportunity to give you a sneak peek at the headline results.

On the next page, you’ll see some of the key findings of the survey. These form the basis of areas to celebrate and areas to explore further.

Areas to celebrate We’re delighted that on the whole, you’re telling us that you enjoy what you do as a volunteer; you feel supported by those you volunteer with and for, and 90% of you feel that you make a difference as a direct impact of your volunteering.

Areas to explore Of the areas to explore further, some themes do not come as a too much of a surprise, such as the many and varied opinions on the volunteer uniform (the most commonly cited theme in response to the open question ‘What one thing would you change about volunteering for English Heritage?’).

Previous survey results have also echoed the need to explore further themes around communication and engagement with the wider charity.

The survey tells us that there is a general sense that volunteers do not feel fully part of the English Heritage team, whether that be through lack of communication, opportunities to understand the Charity’s priorities, or levels of recognition and acknowledgment more generally.

Thank you

to everyone who took part.

GET THE FULL PICTURE Each team will be feeding back to you over the coming season.

If you have any questions in the meantime, please contact us.

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What next?

Agenda Consulting will be presenting the findings of the survey to the Senior Management Team and we will be working with them to create an action plan to take forward the key areas that need further exploration and development.

We will share the results and provide tools to help individual teams and sites identify areas to improve on a local level and draw up action plans.

We’ll then work together with those teams to pass on the results to you and explain how the action plans will be implemented.

We absolutely recognise that we’ve still got a way to go to in improving our volunteer offer, and that going forward, we need to continue to inspire others by providing a diversity of volunteering opportunities as well as a high-quality experience.

We’re grateful for the enthusiasm and passion you show for English Heritage which is very much reflected in the survey results, and we look forward to working together to address the areas for improvement and continue to celebrate the successes. ■

HA V E Y OUR S A Y

The best thing about volunteering is...

‘Access to areas which aren’t usually open to the public and getting up close to artefacts not normally on display’

AGE OF SURVEY PARTICIPANTS

61%

Female

37%

<2%

Male

Prefer not to say

<1%

Identify in other way

GENDER OF SURVEY PARTICIPANTS Top 5 Things GAINED FROM VOLUNTEERING

73% ENJOYMENT 44% MAKING A DIFFERENCE EXPERIENCE

38 % NEW SKILLS

The best thing about volunteering is...

‘Helping people get the most out of their visit and how much they enjoy it.’

2,869 people volunteered in 2017 The best thing about volunteering is...

‘Feeling part of maintaining Britain’s history.’

2013 1,026

2014 1,473

2015 2,184

49% Age 65+ 40% Age 55 – 65 7% Age 45 – 54

3% 1%

Aged under 25 Not known

AREAS TO CELEBRATE

59 % MAKING NEW FRIENDS 41%

2016 2,724

2017 2,869

97 % 93% 92% 89 %

ENJOY volunteer work are PROUD to volunteer with us intend to CONTINUE volunteering feel their contribution is VALUED

AREAS TO EXPLORE

77% 67 % 19 % 11%

are CLEAR about their contribution to the Charity’s objectives

UNDERSTOOD the Charity’s priorities & organisational direction cited UNIFORM as the one thing they would like to change wish that COMMUNICATION could be improved

The best thing about volunteering is...

‘Friendliness of the EH Staff and its volunteers - that’s what made me join in the first place.’

Volunteer growth over the past 5 years english-heritage.org.uk 11

WE DID IT

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WE DID It

An art lover’s paradise volunteer Suzanne Wilkinson explains how a more relaxed approach to viewing Sir Julius Wernher’s spectacular collection has resulted in hundreds more visitors to Ranger’s House.

Images © Wernher Collection, Historic England

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During the summer of 2017, visitor anger’s House is an elegant numbers increased by more than Georgian villa in Greenwich, fi ve hundred due to the change from london, which holds one of guided tours only, to a more open Britain’s greatest collections of art house style.

This new approach gives and antiques. Seven hundred fine and the new team of volunteers more time decorative artworks are on display, to talk to visitors and share their special including porcelain, silver, paintings knowledge of the collection, and to and jewellery, amassed over a century enthuse about the site and collection. ago by the diamond magnate, It also allows visitors to browse at their sir Julius Wernher. own pace, for as long as they like, and The eponymous Wernher spend more time in those areas where collection is one of the most their own special interests lie. extraordinary collections We would Volunteer room steward put together by a single Pauline Mackie loves her role. person. sir Wernher’s wealth be lost ‘The appreciation shown by allowed him to pursue many without the visitors towards us cannot be items of medieval and early underestimated. ’ she says. modern European art which passion and ‘It’s self-perpetuating; the is still available to see today dedication more you learn the more at ranger’s House. you want to discover, It is a glittering collection of our 52 whether that’s from other of priceless art and curios, volunteers room guides or the visitors perfectly preserved in themselves’.

Fellow volunteer beautifully open, highAnne McDonald agrees, adding, ceilinged rooms. The collection is on ‘I’ll always remember one man who permanent exhibition, including early was mesmerised with the stones on a religious painting and Dutch old jewelled lizard. He’d seen it first on a Masters, minute carved Gothic ivories, guided tour, but came back for another fine Renaissance bronzes and silver look. other prize possessions in the treasures, amongst others.

BE A PART OF IT The presentation of this amazing collection is being updated in 2018.

To get involved and find out more, please get in touch at volunteer.enquiries@english-heritage.org.uk or call us on 01793 414752

collection include the ‘loves of Angels’ statue, a bronze owl made from coconut shells, and the Botticelli painting, which is undergoing its first clean in 300 years’.

Volunteer supervisor, Jo Forbes keeps in weekly touch with the 52 volunteers, who between them amassed almost a thousand hours of volunteering.

‘We would be lost without their passion and dedication’ she smiles. ■

Things to see the Betrayal of Christ A stunning painted enamel plaque from the late 15th century, depicting the Bible scene in the garden of Gethsemane.

Mechanical Cabinet An intricate oak mechanical table from 18th-century France, containing many hidden drawers and gifted to Wernher by Jules Porgès, his mentor.

Enamelled ring A 17th-century gold ring, enamelled in black and white and set with a large, dark amethyst.

english-heritage.org.uk 13

our hEroES

WharraM PErCY rEPaCKED A dedicated and meticulous team of volunteers have successfully undertaken a project to document and repack the finds from Wharram Percy, a deserted medieval village as former collections Assistant, charlotte Tomlin, explains.

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harram Percy, situated in ironwork to fabulous Anglo-saxon a valley in the yorkshire strap ends and ornate roman brooches.

Wolds eight miles southThe team have thrown themselves east of Malton, is perhaps one of the wholeheartedly into the project, best known and most researched of repacking first the metal finds before Britain’s deserted medieval villages. moving on to the glass objects.

Archaeological excavations each summer Working on one box of finds at from the 1950s to 1990, led by Maurice a time, the team have photographed, Beresford and John Hurst, resulted in a repacked, and labelled each individual large collection of archaeological finds object. other projects included work on that illustrate the entire date sections of a mosaic from range of occupation of the This project Beadlam roman Villa, and village, from 50Bc to the textiles from Brodsworth highlights the Hall.

20th century. Many of the Thanks to the hard finds are now kept at the importance work of the team, the finds English Heritage Archaeology have been suitably cared of our store in Helmsley where for and stored, ensuring they have found a home volunteers’ their survival and that the amongst objects from other collection will be accessible work important guardianship for further research. sites, from imposing monastic ruins such as rievaulx Abbey thank you to understated roman remains like one way of saying thank you to our Beadlam roman Villa. team was to organise some tours of the sites the collection had originally getting stuck in been found in. The team visited The project wouldn’t have been possible Beadlam roman Villa and Wharram without the hundreds of hours very Percy itself. Pam, one of the Wharram generously given by a fantastic group Percy volunteers, said ‘the tour has of volunteers. Finds can be anything really helped me to understand the from unidentified lumps of corroded site and the context of all the finds GET IN TOUCH if you would like to nominate a team or individual volunteer please get in touch at volunteer.enquiries@english-heritage.org.uk

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above late iron age silver coin of the tribe of Corieltauvi, 5–1BC, post medieval coffin fitting. left, clockwise from top The site at Wharram Percy © Historic England; Pam James and Tom McKenna; richard Jennings; careful packing in progress.

that we have been repacking’. However, the most anticipated and frequently repeated trip is to the local fish and chip shop. A huge amount of valuable work has already been done by the team but they’re not finished yet. They’re continuing to work on the Wharram Percy collection, including the stone and pottery finds and some medieval monastic tiles.

This project highlights just how important the work of volunteers is and we would like to say a huge thank you to the team for all of their achievements so far and for their continued hard work. Thank you to all of the volunteers who have been involved and to Tony McKenna, Pam James, richard Jennings and steve Alderson for their ongoing hard work. ■

our hEroES

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a D aY I N t h E l I F E

A walled garden for all seasons Julie Watson tells us what it’s like volunteering in an ever-changing historical garden paradise. no two days are the same.

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aradise may well be a walled garden as the word paridaeza is of Persian origin and, poeticallyspeaking, refers to an enclosed garden or vineyard. Although the volunteers who help look after the walled garden at osborne on the Isle of Wight don’t go in much for Persian poetry as a rule (more usually it’s weeding), many of us would agree with the sentiment. originally created as a Georgian kitchen garden, our walled garden passed into the hands of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert when they purchased the osborne estate in 1845. It was then ‘fully cropped and stocked’ with fruit trees and provided cut flowers, which were a favourite of Victoria’s.

The kitchen garden was expanded and several buildings were added, including a potting shed and timber-framed greenhouses. By 1850 the walls had also been raised and embellished to become the characteristic feature of the walled garden that exists today.

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Present day Nowadays, 34 volunteers support the professional gardeners in looking after the walled garden all year. Weeding skills are de rigueur and needed at almost any time of the year, but we are also tasked with particular seasonal work.

For example, in summer we harvest the garden’s fruit and vegetable produce, which is used in the restaurant kitchens or sold in the shop; and to this day, we still provide cut flowers and foliage for the floral arrangements in the house. our role As volunteers we cultivate, and sometimes benefit from, the walled garden. The melon pits and vineries of the garden’s early days are long gone but an effort is still made to grow historically correct plants. This can be seen in the apple varieties, especially the long espaliers of lane’s Prince Albert.

We can testify to the fact that a local press transforms these into an excellent

A resident royal robin is often in attendance during our intensive weeding sessions

a D aY I N t h E l I F E

left page, clockwise from top Hops and greenhouses; Julie Watson; resident robin This page, clockwise from top Sunflower; the team on weed patrol; an autumn pumpkin; giant puff-ball; pears.

apple juice. Espaliers and fans of pear, plum, lemon and citrus bergamot spread across the brick walls. These all crop plentifully thanks to the micro-climate created by the wall-reflected sunshine. the more unusual aspects Volunteers are sometimes called upon to perform unusual tasks.

Foraging and wildlife The garden contains a pigsty, complete In september, the fungus season arrives, with trough, although at some point and with it some edible surprises. Giant the present-day topiary pigs replaced the puff-balls balloon out of the flower real ones that enjoyed a diet of beds overnight. left alone, these of course, a resident royal robin often fallen fruits in season. Today’s green fruiting bodies eventually collapse in pigs are easier to tend, needing in attendance during our intensive on themselves and produce clouds only an occasional short back weeding sessions. And at the height of of spores if poked. But and sides from one of the summer, the sunflowers are a magnet picked at just the right crops are volunteers who just happens for both nectar-seeking bumble bees moment, they can be to have professional and visitors, who like to pose for selfies sliced and transformed plentiful, hairdressing skills. with these towering giants. into mushroom bruschetta thanks to our – a recipe which simply Donning gloves, and with so if you’re visiting osborne be sure an armoury of forks, hoes, to check out the walled garden. And if requires drizzling with micro-climate trowels and wheelbarrows, we you happen to notice some movement olive oil, topping in amongst the agapanthus or nerines, move between the flower beds, with tomato and garlic, don’t be alarmed. It’s probably just mostly tending to horticultural needs and light grilling. one of the garden’s team of dedicated but occasionally masquerading as panel The local osborne wildlife also volunteers out on weed patrol. ■ members from Gardeners’ Question enjoys the walled garden. There is, Time when visitors ply us for advice or ask, ‘What’s the name of that plant over PLAN YOUR VISIT there?’ Visitor favourites include the come and see the gardens and house at osborne on the isle of Wight. climbing hop plants with their dangling For more information visit www.english-heritage.org.uk/osborne clusters of decorative yellow-green cones and the autumn pumpkin display. english-heritage.org.uk 17

P RO J E C T P RO F I L E

IRON BRIDGE English Heritage has begun an ambitious conservation project on the Iron Bridge, the celebrated icon of the Industrial Revolution.

By volunteer Maggie Gray.

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P RO J E C T P RO F I L E

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natural resources of coal, iron ore, water n New Year’s Day in 1781, and limestone. In 1709, a Quaker called a new bridge was officially Abraham Darby, who had recently opened over the River Severn moved to the area from Bristol and in Shropshire, linking the parishes of taken over an abandoned furnace in Broseley and Madeley. Nobody had Coalbrookdale, invented a new way of seen anything quite like it. The elegant smelting iron ore with coke rather than structure rose high over the busy the more expensive charcoal. It was waterway, vaulting the steep-sided gorge a momentous innovation. Demand in a single, graceful arc. A few decorative for Darby’s high-quality, low-cost flourishes adorned its delicate-looking material boomed, and Coalbrookdale ribs and railings, but the real talking found itself at the heart of a rapidly point was the material itself. Every growing industry. other bridge over the Severn – and But there was a practical problem anywhere else, for that matter – was to overcome. The River Severn cut a made of wood, brick or stone. This deep gorge through the landscape to one was built using cast iron, produced the west of Coalbrookdale; to a short journey up the cross it, traders and suppliers road in Coalbrookdale. It Built using had to make a tedious twowas an unprecedented cast iron... mile detour upstream to feat of engineering, and a Buildwas.

A new, single-span gleaming advertisement for the world bridge was needed to enable the potential of the new took notice people to cross the gorge on construction material. The land, without impeding the world took notice. People bevy of boats and barges that packed flocked to see the structure, and the river below. It was the local architect, before long iron bridges were springing Thomas Farnolls Pritchard, who first up throughout the industrialised proposed that they make it out of iron. world – along with railways, aqueducts, skyscrapers and other cast-iron creations. His idea, which was first mooted in 1773, was met with scepticism, but when nobody could come up with a better A Global Icon solution using traditional materials his Iron Bridge is a truly global icon of plans were approved. Pritchard died the Industrial Revolution, but its own shortly after work began in 1777, and story is inextricably linked to the local the project’s completion fell to none communities that it was built to connect. other than Abraham Darby III, the In the 18th century, the Severn Valley grandson of the man whose innovations was alive with industry, feeding off rich with iron had made the whole thing possible. Darby went hugely over budget, and was in debt for the rest of his life, BE A PART OF IT but by 2nd July 1779 the Iron Bridge If you’d like join us as a Visitor Volunteer and help visitors was complete, soaring over the Severn to understand more about this incredible part of our heritage, as an expensive, but extraordinary, please visit: www.english-heritage.org.uk/volunteering symbol of the industrial future. ► english-heritage.org.uk 19

ProJECt ProFIlE

KEEP UP TO DATE For more details about the project and its progress please visit: www.english-heritage.org.uk/project-iron-bridge or use # ProjectironBridge on social media.

What happens now?

Iron Bridge today There is a lot to be done.

The Iron Bridge still stands proud today, English Heritage’s experts have but instead of representing the future spent years assessing the structure it is now an important remnant of our in unprecedented detail, and have national past. In 1934, it was recognised identifi ed several key areas that need as a scheduled Ancient Monument and attention as part of the £3.6m project. closed to traffic, and in 1986 the bridge Firstly, repairs and reinforcements must and the surrounding Ironbridge Gorge be made to the ironwork itself – to the area were inscribed as a uNEsco bridge’s main arch, the radials and braces World Heritage site. In the 238 years that hold it together, and the deck plates since it was erected, the world’s and wedges underlying the first iron bridge has walkway – after which the withstood flash floods, Repairing the entire metal structure will and the wear and tear of be repainted to provide hundreds of pedestrian bridge is an further protection against and vehicular crossings. opportunity the elements.

The stone over the same period, the two sides of the to tell it’s story piers on either side of the arch will undergo gorge have been slowly conservation, and the moving together, pressing vegetation that has been slowly growing the bridge between them. The bridge in the cracks and ledges removed.

The is under threat from cracking due to bridge’s deck will be resurfaced in a way stresses in the ironwork dating from the that more closely matches the original original construction, ground movement surface, which is thought to have been over the centuries, and an earthquake at slag, produced by local blast furnaces. the end of the 19th century. This is why once all the work is complete, the Iron English Heritage has launched a huge Bridge will emerge reinforced, refreshed, conservation project to save it – the and restored to its former glory. biggest project since the organisation In the meantime, another challenge became a charity in 2015.

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remains – to keep the bridge open to visitors while the works take place, so that nobody is denied the opportunity to see and learn about this wonder of the modern world. To achieve this, the works will be completed in two stages: first, experts will work on the downstream side, and later they will move to the upstream side. Visitors will have access to the other side of the bridge’s deck throughout the works.

But English Heritage will be doing even more to engage the public during the project. For summer 2018, a walkway will be erected from the bridge’s scaffolding, and fortnightly hard hat tours will be offered so that visitors can see the work up close. It is this engagement effort that requires the help of English Heritage volunteers, who will introduce the project to visitors and explain the importance of the work. often, restoration projects are seen as a hindrance to public access and engagement, but in this case, the act of repairing the bridge represents a fantastic opportunity to tell its story and ensure that a new generation is inspired to preserve and protect it for years to come. ■

lE t ’ S go to...

cARiSBRookE cASTlE Make use of your volunteer pass and visit this island castle.

tell me about it Don’t miss Queen victoria’s daughter who carisbrooke castle, the most important ■ the Wall Walk was governor of the isle of Wight, stronghold in the isle of Wight’s history, The 12th century norman keep BradfordHatfield Earthworks and winner of the isle of Wight has had many roles in its time. it began still stands to this day, and its high on-Avon Stoney Littleton (Marden Henge) in Bloom’sCastle ‘Best Small Tourist as a simple fortification built by the Long Barrow battlements Tithe are aBarn perfect place to Ludgershall WILTSHIRE and Cross award in 2017,Basingstoke Aldersh Attraction’ this Westbury Brattonthe Camp Saxons as early as 1000cE. The first stretch your legs. Enjoy view Netheravon Farnham Dovecote HAM PSHIR E and White Horse Andover beautiful garden is a small piece of Keep Farnham Castle castle, built by the normans, appeared from the top, where you can see a Woodhenge Waverle tranquillity in the castle around 1066. it has been both a prison near-perfect panoramaStonehenge of the island.

The grounds.

Grange at Abbey Farleigh Northington Alton and a home for royalty and nobles, a ■Nunney Carisbrooke Donkeys ■ the Castle tearoom Hungerford Castle Castle Flowerdown defence from both Spanish and French Donkeys have at to pop in for tea and cake, Haslemere Old SarumTake time Mere been in useWilton Barrows SALISBURY locally producedWolvesey Castlemade.

Wincanton forces, and now it stands as a living carisbrooke since the 16th century, and freshly WINCHESTER (Old Old Wardour Bishop’s Palace) Castle Petersfield castle and museum with a long, rich when they were used to draw up Bishop’s Waltham Romsey Shaftesbury history in every corner. water from the well house.

There Where is it?

Midh Palace Sherborne Sherborne Old Castle Eastleigh The castle has survived sieges and are still donkeys living onFordingbridge site that carisbrooke castle is located in Medieval SOUTHAMPTON Southwick Fiddleford Box Churchnewport, two world wars. it has been knocked you can meet – theirManor namesKnowlton all isle of Wight Po30 1XY ■ Merchant’s Priory Prio and Earthworks House Netley Abbey down, expanded, rebuilt, and reimagined begin with J, a tradition started from Blandford Forum CHICH DORSET Portchester throughout the ages, creating a collage charles i’s incarceration at the castleRingwood Calshot Castle PORTSMOUTH Castle Wimborne Minster Poor Christchurch of architectural styles in one stunning Winterbourne and upheld to this day.

Presentations Fort Lot Barrows Castle and Lymington Cowes Brockhurst site. An example of this is the St of the well house are shown using The Nine Stones Norman House Osborne Christchurch Ryde Poole Yarmouth nicholas chapel. it was originally built theDorchester specially trained donkeys, Newport Fort King Bournemouth Maiden Castle Wareham Hurst during medieval times but reinvented bringing their part of history to life.

Cumberl Roy Sandown Castle Carisbrooke Jordan Hill as late as 1904, to commemorate the come and meet the new volunteers Castle Shanklin Roman Yarmouth Appuldurcombe Temple 250th anniversary of king charles i’s who are helping to care forSwanage them.

Castle Ventnor House Weymouth ISL E OF death. it became the isle of Wight’s ■ Princess Beatrice garden St Catherine’s WIGHT Oratory official war memorial to the entire Abbotsbury Previously the castle’s kitchen Abbey Remains island’s dead following World War i. garden, named after Portland Castle

ENG

PLAN YOUR VISIT check out the castle on google’s Arts & culture platform.

For details visit: www.english-heritage.org.uk/carisbrooke

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SKIll BuIlDINg

MY JoURnEY volunteers at Audley End continue to upskill and share their passion for this fascinating site. By Tom chamberlain.

Joining the team In April 2014, I joined the volunteer team at Audley End as one of the volunteers to be trained for new roles in the house. We began our volunteering journey in the Nursery and coal Gallery, both newly restored to their early 19th-century state. Having received information from the English Heritage historians, each day a handful of us would be tucked away at the top of the house in our smart new uniforms and badges announcing that we were Explainer Volunteers.

laundry as well as the chemistry of butter making in the dairy.

New opportunities The latest step on this journey was when volunteers took over responsibility for the Adam rooms in April 2016. This suite of rooms was designed by robert Adam in the 1760s. This was the first venture of volunteers into the state rooms of the main house and we all had a good deal to learn. Again we took to the books and enjoyed learning all we could about this part of the house.

My second season Continuing to learn By the start of 2015, more volunteers Volunteers often do their own research had been recruited and were deployed – we learn from each other and build in the service Wing – comprising the on the knowledge we already have, kitchen, laundry and dairy. The visitors which makes for better informed continued with free flow access to the and more enthusiastic conversations area and the following year volunteers with visitors. last November, I read were trained to lead guided tours of the in the latest Guide to cambridge service Wing. This required new skills that Thomas Audley, after whom the and training, and one of house is named, founded our volunteers, richard, a Your confidence college in cambridge: researched and wrote a Magdalene college. However, will grow as guide for us, ‘life Below presumably, in order not to stairs’. The guide has be forgotten as the founder you volunteer a strong focus on the of the college, Thomas individuals who actually worked in the Audley ordered that Magdalene be service Wing in late Victorian times. This pronounced ‘Maudlin’ to sound like his has a powerful appeal to visitors, many own name. of whom have memories of their own one of the most rewarding aspects family members who were in service, of my volunteer journey over the last and so can relate to much of this four years has been the opportunity to element of the house’s story. develop new skills in different parts of Now we follow richard’s outline the house. My journey continued last for the guided tours but inevitably year, when I joined other volunteers we each have our own slant on life in the christmas project ‘Enchanted below stairs. For me, as a teacher of Audley’. We had a fantastic time and science, I probably over-emphasise the I hope to be part of the event again engineering aspects of the kitchen and next year.’

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SKIll BuIlDINg

oBJECtS oF DESIrE

M

y favourite object in the service Wing is the box mangle.

one of the most rewarding aspects of my journey has been developing new skills

Clockwise from main image The main house; Tom chamberlain; the service wing; the nursery rocking horse; the coal gallery.

hoW It WorKS large items, such as tablecloths, were laid on top of a mangle cloth and the whole thing rolled tightly round a mangle roller. The roller was placed beneath a very large box, full of rocks, which was then mechanically lowered on top of it.

The laundry maid would then have the happy job of turning a handle, first one way and then the other, to shift the heavy box back and forth over the roller, in order to smooth out the wrinkles in the tablecloth – a sort of primitive ironing.

In the later model, an ingenious engineer provided gearing, so that turning the handle in one direction would move the box backwards and forwards. The engineer also added a fly-wheel so that once started the handle was much easier to turn – a very elegant piece of Victorian engineering which made the laundry maid’s work just a little less arduous. ■

PLAN YOUR VISIT Use your volunteer pass to meet the team and learn how the victorians lived.

For more information please visit: www.english-heritage.org.uk/audley

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A D A Y I N TH E L I F E

Eventful times

Ever dreamt of taming dragons, having tea with Romans or exploring the night with Victorians?

This is the life of an events volunteer as Kim Hyndes explains.

W

ho knew St George was so suave? I didn’t, until I joined the volunteer team with the events department at Wrest Park.

As a lifetime Member who is aiming to enter the events world, the chance to get hands-on experience at one of the biggest English Heritage events was something I couldn’t pass up. I got the opportunity to be involved in everything from the set up, the event itself and the take down, meaning I got an up-close view of the magic that is St George’s Day at Wrest Park.

St George’s Day Watching as the space evolved before us, as we staked and taped the arenas and the performers trickled in, was truly magical. I first experienced St George’s at Wrest Park as a child; that visit has stayed with me ever since, so you can

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imagine my former self was giddy with joy watching as another set of memorymaking elements came together. The real buzz started as rehearsals began. The Romans were practising their marches.

The horses with the man himself, St George, rehearsed and re-enacted his famous battle. Now I can safely say George is still ever so heroic, despite his now very old age. As we -– the events team and volunteers – stood stranded, unable to continue our work, circled by bad guys, St George appeared in all his glory and scared them off. Thanks to him we managed to escape and finish setting up, ready for action the next day.

With our duties spread across the site I got to see so much of the event and so many happy faces of those visiting. The interaction with those taking part and the visitors was, for me, the highlight of the weekend. Seeing all the

kids dressed up, enjoying the battles, soaking up the history, and bouncing over to tell me about everything they’d seen is something I will keep with me forever. The laughs and fun I had during an in-depth discussion with a young lady about the dragon’s taste for humans is a story I’ve told to many.

Wrest at War Next came Wrest at War, an event I had also been to as a child. With this came a whole new set of experiences.

One of the highlights of the event for me was listening to the joyful voices of the kids as they recounted to their parents everything they had been learning throughout the day, second only to seeing the look of awe on their faces as the horses galloped – and hearing the cheers as their favourite won the task at hand.

a D aY I N t h E l I F E

Clockwise from main image An event in front of the house; romans march; volunteers at an event; Peterkin the jester; Wrest at War; st George wows the crowd in front of the Archer’s Pavillion.

halloween In the run-up to Halloween, for three nights, three tours of brave souls risked it all to walk the woodlands in the dark.

With the trusty guides – both real life Victorians, I’ll have you know! – we set off into the darkness three times each night for tales of laughter, fear and love.

The squirrels were out in force breaking branches, rustling leaves, adding a spooky soundtrack. For those out there who feel that children spend a lot of time in front of a screen, this will really scare you: they were truly engrossed in every moment. The intrigue in their surroundings, the pointing out of lights in the darkness, and the jumping at the stories was something special. For me however, the highlight of the event was the stunning sunsets we were blessed with. Every night I heard the familiar words, ‘look at that sky’, joined with

let’s forget the work experience that everyone stopping to photograph the volunteering can provide, and look incredible view. at the other side of it. These kinds of If there’s one memories and experiences constant I found are something money can’t throughout all the volunteering can buy, something we should all time I’ve spent create memories have the chance to experience. volunteering so far, it so if you reckon you can is the excitement of and experiences chill with romans, take on people. Everyone that money some ghosts, and manage to had a smile, a story, persuade children they don’t and a memory to can’t buy want to be eaten by a dragon share. To have the (trust me that was hard). or if honour of being you just want to help with day-to-day a volunteer, up close to the action, goings-on, then look into volunteering interacting with everyone and hearing with English Heritage.

It’s so worth it. ■ their stories, is humbling. For a moment, VOLUNTEER AT AN EVENT We have lots of volunteer roles for events across the country.

For more information please visit: www.english-heritage.org.uk/volunteering

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P RO J E C T P RO F I L E

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P RO J E C T P RO F I L E

FEAST! Sue Martin and Flo Brookes recount exciting times for Stonehenge volunteers, as they helped prepare for the latest special exhibition.

O

ne of the topics of conversation with visitors in the Neolithic houses at Stonehenge is often, ‘What did people eat?’ From the amazing courses, lectures, and experiences we’ve had as volunteers here, we are slowly building up a picture of this. So, when we were told that our new exhibition Feast! would be on food and feasting, we were really looking forward to it, as there is so much to learn and share with our visitors. ►

english-heritage.org.uk 27

ProJECt ProFIlE

1

4

2

3 5

the exhibition several of the stonehenge volunteers had the wonderful experience of supporting the launch of this new exhibition in october. It is based on the amazing amount of evidence of feasting found at Durrington Walls, the Neolithic settlement where people lived while constructing stonehenge.

First we heard from Hannah Brown, who put the exhibition together. she taught us about evidence for where animals were born and bred, the fattening of pigs and identification of dairy fats in pottery. The combination of farming and the hunting of wild animals is something we often talk about with visitors, so this information was invaluable for our new exhibition.

Neolithic food We often make bread on the hot stones around the central fire in the Neolithic houses, and to complement this, volunteers were also trained in 28 english-heritage.org.uk

cheese making by Dr Penny Bickle of york university. she gave a fascinating talk about the possible origins of cheese making and the fact that Neolithic people were lactose intolerant. This was followed with enlightening hands-on training in making cheese using rennet and full-fat milk. The process of cheese making became a topic of interest after dairy residue was discovered on some of the pots at Durrington Walls â&#x20AC;&#x201C; there are replicas of this pottery in the Neolithic houses. This all helps to bring the story of Neolithic times to life for our visitors.

Foraging We have also been learning about foraging for wild plants to supplement the largely meat-based diet at the time. A visit to ancient woodland, Great ridge Wood, introduced us to nuts

When talking to visitors, we now feel better equipped to give them fascinating snippets about neolithic eating habits Robert Scott-Jupp

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ProJECt ProFIlE

hoW to MaKE PrEhIStorIC ChEESE

7 and berries of the time, as well as tasty leaves like wood sorrel, and the roots of several plants like silver weed and burdock (the latter being a massive tap root, which could add bulk to a prehistoric diet).

We gathered a selection of these and made a stew at the end of the day. launch day The launch of the exhibition was marked by a VIP event and a Members’ event, where numerous volunteers supported in the exhibition and the Neolithic village, with live and recorded filming and national and regional press coverage. Two of our volunteers arrived on site at 7am to take part in the live stream with school children in the Neolithic houses. In the evening, volunteers received VIP visitors in the houses to demonstrate cheese making around the fire, and to talk about life at the time of stonehenge’s conception. Volunteer Guy Hagg came dressed in his Neolithic outfit and was probably the most photographed person on site!

In all, this exciting event and subsequent exhibition launch, was well supported by volunteers, who appreciated the training and involvement around the topic. once again, a new topic being introduced has helped us bring the Neolithic period, and events around stonehenge, to life for our visitors. ■

Images Previous pages stonehenge Feast © English Heritage Andre Pattenden these pages 1. Neolithic houses 2. Foraged leaves 3. Guy Hagg in Neolithic outfit 4. charlotte foraging 5. Basket of foraged food 6. Auroch skulls, a now-extinct species of wild cattle. © Historic England 7. David Price and Wendy Taylor in Neolithic House

BE A PART OF IT come and join the Stonehenge volunteer team. get in touch at volunteer.enquiries@english-heritage.org.uk or call us on 01793 414752

You WIll NEED ■ A large saucepan ■ A sieve/colander ■ 2 litres of whole milk ■ 1 tsp rennet mixed with a little water (we advise you to buy synthetic rennet from a shop, though our prehistoric ancestors would have made their own from the stomach of an animal) What to Do 1 Heat the milk in a large saucepan to about 38°c (until the milk is warm, but not hot) and then turn off the heat.

2 Add the rennet and stir the milk.

3 leave the mixture for about half an hour or a little bit longer. over this period the milk will become more solid.

4 Using a long knife, cut the solidified milk into about 1 inch squares. This will separate the solidified milk into curds (the solid bit) and whey (the liquid bit). stir very gently to help separate the curds and the whey.

5 once the milk has separated, carefully spoon the curds into your colander or sieve and leave for a couple of hours. The colander needs to be placed over another pot or pan for the whey to drip into. Putting something heavy on top of the curds helps to speed up the process and to make a firmer cheese.

6 After 2–3 hours there should no longer be any whey dripping out of the colander, and you will have prehistoric cheese.

Prehistoric people probably had a very different sense of taste to us, so we would suggest that you add some salt and herbs, or enjoy it with jam. It should keep for about 48 hours in the fridge. english-heritage.org.uk 29

WhY I loVE ...

hIDDEN hIStorIES at Tilbury Fort

When georgia Foy began her Masters in Archaeology of Buildings at York University, she never imagined it would end with curating an exhibition.

BE PART OF IT We are planning a new volunteer programme for 2018. keep an eye on the website for more details at www.english-heritage.org.uk/volunteering

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WhY I loVE

Main image roof of the Officers’ Barracks Left Officers’ Barracks Right Georgia Foy

I

began my journey as a volunteer for the Archaeology collections Placement at Wrest Park. After two weeks of repacking finds, I had a thesis subject: The Officers’ Barracks at Tilbury Fort. The building had never been the focus of any study or excavation, only ever an addition or side note.

Academics knew little about it and the public even less. The aim of my study was intensive research of the building to discover its history and how it could be presented to the public.

the history of tilbury Fort Deep in the Thames Docklands of Essex lies this historic gem.

A star-shaped fort with a fascinating history. The site started life as a blockhouse commissioned by Henry VIII to defend the Thames in 1539. This was where Elizabeth I famously rallied the troops during the spanish Armada. It was rebuilt as a fort in approximately 1670–1685 by famous military engineer sir Bernard de Gomme as part of charles II’s campaign to consolidate power. It worked to defend london and the Thames until the end of WWII, when it was no longer needed. As a result of its long working life, it’s been altered many times and housed companies of royal Artillery, Infantry and chelsea Pensioners.

the people who lived there My volunteering The most interesting part of Volunteering began as work studying this building was not the experience and ended up structure, but what I discovered developing into a pursuit of about the people who lived there. passion. using the collection was These were not just officers, as is a valuable research experience expected from a building named that I would not have considered ‘the Officers’ Barracks’. On the had it not been for my volunteer contrary, often the officers were placement. Having worked with outnumbered by non-military the collection as a volunteer, personnel including ordnance I was able to use and understand Office staff, women, children, and it better. I could combine my servants. Their stories are almost academic experience at the impossible to find having been university of york with my deemed unimportant and left practical experience at unrecorded. This mix of people English Heritage to uncover meant that the living some really arrangements of the interesting stories. volunteering Officers’ Barracks creating something has developed tangible from my were very different to the soldiers’ Barracks thesis by sharing into a pursuit MA across the parade. my research with of passion After months the public has been of researching, the so rewarding. question became: How can the saying yes to every story of the Officers’ Barracks opportunity that volunteering be translated into an exhibition? has thrown my way has As much fun as I had writing been an adventure. With my MA thesis, I didn’t think English Heritage I have gained visitors to the site would have experience in collections the same fun reading 20,000 management, conservation, words of archaeological analysis. research, and curating exhibitions.

Working with charlotte Newman, This has boosted not only my collections curator, we are academic results, but my cV as continuing to develop the project I pursue a career in the heritage by writing a small exhibition for industry. so, my top tip for all the Officers’ Barracks which will volunteers and those thinking be ready in time seasonal opening about volunteering is say yes and in April. see where it could take you. ■ english-heritage.org.uk 31

y o u r s t o r ies

MY PERSONAL RESTORATION Richard Luscombe, writes about his time spent volunteering at Wrest Park, and explains how this has helped him overcome personal tragedy.

L

ife changes. Sometimes we make the changes, sometimes events change things for us. In September 2004, I moved from a long library career into primary teaching. In September 2014, our daughter took her own life.

I was put on long-term sick leave and, until the inquest the following March, I couldn’t think about the future.

All I knew was that I wouldn’t go back to teaching. So, a wise friend – herself a careers counsellor – suggested that I explore different occupation options through volunteering. I didn’t know then how addictive volunteering would become.

My past experience rolled into one job In August 2015 I became a volunteer Room Guide at Wrest Park, welcoming visitors to the house and telling them about the De Grey family’s story. It was near home, all the staff and volunteers were friendly, and it reawakened my love for the past. Even better, our amazing Volunteer History Research Team then advertised for a volunteer Historical Records Keeper. I had a history degree, had run a Local Studies library, and enjoyed talking about the subject, so it was as if all my past experience was rolled into one job. I loved it then and I still love it now.

Many visitors who come to Wrest Park find a favourite place. They reach the bottom of our staircase and turn towards the garden, and ahead is the perfect classical perspective of the Long

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Water canal, finishing at the domed Archer Pavilion. That’s where the cameras come out. As a volunteer, I have the added privilege of seeing this before the visitors arrive. It’s perfect and, for those few moments, you happily convince yourself that it’s your garden, and no one else’s. Wrest Park played a major part in my restoration. It gave me back my purpose.

Sustaining good mental health World Mental Health Day reminds us that mental health is health, not illness.

We talk at length about our physical health and we slip easily from how well we are to how ill we are. Yet, say the word ‘mental’ and many people assume ‘illness’. Of course, the truth is that we all have mental health. Volunteering can improve it significantly, or simply help to sustain the good mental health that you already enjoy.

Perhaps it’s unusual for a man to discuss mental health, but I lost any inhibitions after our Becki died. She had been a national ‘voice’ for the charity Mind. In October 2013 she unwittingly started a Twitter campaign that caused two major supermarket chains to withdraw Halloween costumes making fun of mental patients. Posthumously she was made a Mental Health Hero by the then Deputy Prime Minister. In tribute to her, and to others who left us too soon, friends started a local group to raise awareness of young people’s mental wellbeing. That’s another side of my

Above Richard Luscombe Right The Archer Pavillion at Wrest Park

Sometimes, it’s just taking time to listen, making someone feel appreciated, or altering someone’s duties for a period, as one would during physical recovery

Y OUR S TOR I E S

Wrest Park played a major part in my restoration. It gave me back my purpose

volunteering, and equally rewarding.

People volunteer for all sorts of reasons. If they’re simply looking for respite from their past jobs, then the joy soon evaporates. Volunteering is a commitment, and the rewards come from the work you put in. Wrest Park has over 170 volunteers and simply couldn’t survive without them. They bring to their roles a vast range of skills and knowledge and, whether they recognise it or not, are all helping their own mental health. Take volunteer gardeners for example. They perfectly

demonstrate that physical activity benefits mental wellbeing.

Mental health is now talked about more than it ever was, and even has significant royal endorsement. That’s great, but it’s those around us who can play the biggest part, and this includes employers. It doesn’t have to be big

things. Sometimes, it’s just taking time to listen, making someone feel appreciated, or altering someone’s duties for a period, as one would during physical recovery.

I’m just grateful to be where I am now, with the team I have, so that what I do is given added value. ■

PLAN YOUR VISIT Why not go to Wrest Park and see the special places Richard describes.

For more details visit www.english-heritage.org.uk/wrest

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ovER To YoU

PICturE thIS

Please send us your favourite site photos. Here are the volunteer team’s favourites.

A dedicated space for you.

iRon BRiDgE QUiZ How much do you know about this pioneering example of design and engineering? (Answers below)

1. Whose discovery made the mass production of cast iron viable?

2. Who designed the bridge?

3. In what year was the Iron Bridge erected?

4. How many people were injured during the bridge’s construction?

5. What is the bridge’s span?

6. How many castings does the bridge have?

7. How many tons of iron were used to build the bridge?

8. How were the parts of the bridge joined together?

9. When was the bridge closed to traffic?

10. What designation was the bridge given in 1986?

Whitby Abbey

Jodie hoskin, Volunteering team, Swindon Here is a fantastic shot of the abbey, looking over the charming seaside town of Whitby.

gUESS THE SiTE

These close ups are from the same site. can you guess which one it is? (Answers below)

Goodrich Castle

ASk THE cURAToR Do you have a burning historical question you’d love to have answered?

Send them in to us and we’ll ask the curator in the next edition.

To kick-start this brand new section, we’ve put in some of our own content to give you an idea of how it will look. We hope to expand and improve it with your submissions. Send us your letters, photos, puzzles, quizzes, jokes, or anything you’d like.

34 english-heritage.org.uk

Answers: Iron Bridge Quiz 1 Abraham Darby I; 2 Thomas Farnolls Pritchard; 3 1779; 4 None; 5 100 feet (30m); 6 482 main castings, but with the deck facings and railings the number rises to 1,736; 7 378 tons; 8 Traditional joining techniques used in carpentry, adapting them for cast iron; 9 1934; 10 uNEsco World Heritage status. guess the site Pendennis castle, cornwall.

WE’D LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU

anneka Coleman, Volunteering team, Swindon goodrich castle is the first castle i visited and got me hooked on heritage.

Stokesay Castle

ginny Slade, Volunteering team, Swindon The glow of the yellow timber frame gatehouse beckons all who pass to come in and visit.

VOLUNTEER OFFER

UNIQUE GIFTS INSPIRED BY HISTORY Whether you’re looking for books about your site, a souvenir of your favourite property, a unique gift or a tasty treat from our food and drink collection, you’ll discover something a little bit different in our gift shops and online.

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Exclusive & unique gifts

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Traditionally made food & drink

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Collectable replica swords & armour

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Beautiful tapestries & wall hangings

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Traditional toys & games

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Clothing & accessories

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Guidebooks & historically inspired books for all ages Jewellery for all occasions

Visit www.english-heritageshop.org.uk

10% OFF AT OUR ONLINE SHOP ENTER YOUR VOLUNTEER DISCOUNT CODE

EHVD18

Terms & Conditions: • 10% discount valid online only.

• Enter code EHVD18 at the basket page.

• Not to be used in conjunction with any other offer.

• No minimum spend.

• Discount valid until 31st Dec 2018.

The English Heritage Trust is a charity, no. 1140351, and a company, no. 07447221, registered in England.

144,733 HOURS VOLUNTEERED IN THE LAST YEAR

Your vital support as volunteers helps us to inspire and conserve the incredible collection in our care and we couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t do it without you.

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VOLUNTEERS SUPPORTING OUR BEAUTIFUL GARDENS

2,869

THANK YOU

VOLUNTEERS GAVE THEIR TIME OVER THE PAST YEAR

126

VOLUNTEERS SUPPORTING OUR EDUCATION SECTOR

133

ARE IN CONSERVATION & CUR ATORIAL ROLES

1,623 ARE IN VISITOR FACING ROLES

The English Heritage Trust is a charity, no. 1140351, and a company, no. 07447221, registered in England.