History team digs up Valley heritage for museum event
ROCHDALE residents are invited to a weekend of free talks and performances to celebrate the ancient history and heritage of Whitworth and the Spodden Valley.
Mid Pennine Arts and their archaeology partners Dig Ventures are hosting the event at Whitworth Museum on the weekend of July 27-28 as part of the Festival of Archeology.
The event, between 10am and 3pm, is inspired by Spodden Valley Revealed Ecomuseum, a National Lottery Heritage funded project supported by Newground Together, part of Together Housing Group.
Spodden Valley Revealed will be a new kind of visitor destination, celebrating the stories of the area around Whitworth, by linking ancient sites via a new greenway route.
Over two years, the project team is building up a trail of discovery through landscaping works and improving access. They are also investigating the stories of the area and commissioning artists to create new works of interpretation of those stories and the landscape.
Dave Bowker, who has lived nearby for more than 20 years, said: “I’ve never really stopped to imagine what had been there before. I never had the skills to be able to identify parts of the landscape. Now is the chance to learn more and do more and contribute to the survey.”
Resident Justin Thomas added: “It connects us more to our home town and is an opportunity to find out what was going on a long time ago on my doorstep.”
Peter Jordan, Director of Newground Together, said: “Spodden Valley is teeming with the remains of lives lived long ago - from ruined villages and old monuments, to traces of the ancient huntergathers who once stalked this land.
“If you are curious about the past and want to learn more about the history on your doorstep, come along and get involved.”