SEDGEFORD HISTORICAL  AND ARCHAEOLOGICAL RESEARCH PROJECT

Weblog Open Day (Sunday 29th July 2007)

Pauline Fogarty 

The 2007 Open Day was a great success attracting a huge number of visitors to the site and raising over £1100 for the project. Amazingly, even the weather worked in our favour and despite previous forecasts it was a glorious day. 

We had tours around the new trench and chalk pit evaluations, where visitors were shown recent finds and received explanations of the trenches from the volunteers digging. There were various talks given by members of the team on subjects from the oldest bladderstone in Norfolk to the archaeology of an empty grave. A firm favourite was the talk on the Boneyard excavations, which it appeared half the site attended! 

Children had the opportunity to take part in various activities including the archaeological sandpit, pot-making and ancient writing which proved a massive hit with the creative young ones on site. They also had the chance to try out Iron Age fashions in the shape of our Iron Age face painting. For those feeling adventurous, they had the chance to have a go at torc-la or the pillaries, although I think it may be safe to say Max ended up wetter than any poor unsuspecting parents!! 

In the marquee and information centre there were spinning demonstrations and displays by the Local History Forum and the Norfolk Heritage Explorer. We also had exhibits from SHARP showing the work undertaken over the last few years and the results that have been uncovered. For those wanting to part with some hard earned cash we had the ever popular (with the site team especially) bookstall, merchandise and cake stall. And we had the regular favourite raffles, including win a day digging, which we decided for volunteers excavating on site, meant they could win a day off digging! 

We had displays in the human remains hut, where people had the chance to see some of our Anglo-Saxon ancestors that have come to a more unfortunate end. We had the skeleton of Cnut on display and display of the body in the corn dryer. Both of which had visitors enthralled.    

And for when all the activity was too much we had refreshments laid on, which proved a hit with visitors and volunteers alike! 

The day was a great success and I had many comments from visitors telling me how much they enjoyed it, so thanks needs to go to the team for putting on such a great display and to the public for attending the Open day. And a big thanks needs to go to our great car park team, without whom it would be impossible for us to run the open day.