Cambridgeshire Heritage Trails

Aims:

To promote public access to and awareness of historic sites in Cambridgeshire.

Objectives:

  • Annual programme of guided walks around historic sites
  • Publication of heritage trails and information about sites to visit in local magazines and on the internet

Development of resources to promote public access and enjoyment of Cambridgeshire’s historic environment
Devils Dyke guided walk
@Cambridgeshire CC


Project Details and Outcomes:

The guided walk programme has been running in Cambridgeshire for more than 15 years and is an integral part of Cambridgeshire Archaeology’s public events calendar. The walks aim to foster an enjoyment of the county’s rich historic environment, and access to many nationally important archaeological sites is provided through monument management and environmental stewardship agreements, the County Farms Estate and via the county’s network of public rights of way.

The guided walk programme runs throughout the summer months. Evening walks are led by service staff and regularly attract audiences in excess of 50 per walk. The Cambridgeshire Historic Environment Record provides background information and supporting material for handouts and visual aids.

In 2004-5 a series of 7 conservation walks have been published in South Cambridgeshire District Council’s community magazine South Cambs, which is distributed free-of-charge to 56,000 houses in the area. The walks have also been collated into a library of downloadable resources, which is available from the county and district websites. Webpages detailing archaeological sites in Cambridgeshire with public access has also been published online, created in response to public demand for access to this type of information.

The programme for 2006 has increased the involvement of local history societies and conservation organisations, and has enabled a wider range of walks to be scheduled. Future plans include the development of:

  • A larger range of heritage trails available on the internet; and
  • Interactive web mapping for heritage attractions and activities in Cambridgeshire.


Visitors enjoy a tour of Burwell Castle
@Cambridgeshire CC 


Resources and Delivery and/or Partnerships:

Cambridgeshire Archaeology staff – programme planning, programme delivery (1 person day per walk), monument management, development of published walks and web resources

Service Level Agreement with Cambridgeshire County Farms Estate (until 2005/6)

Huntingdonshire and South Cambridgeshire District Council

Partnership with Cambridge Greenbelt Project, Cambridge Preservation Society and Local Heritage Initiative

Funding:

In-house, with partnership funding from South Cambridgeshire District Council


Duration of Project:

Programme has been ongoing since the 1990s.

Sustainability:

  • Low cost initiative that can be scaled up/down on an annual basis according to staff availability and interests.
  • Initial investment in the preparation of walk materials and itineraries provides multiple opportunities for publication and dissemination of resources.
  • The walks are currently being provided free of charge, but a voluntary contribution is being piloted in 2006. Sponsorship funding will be considered as an option in forthcoming years.

Potential partners are being sought for future programme development.


Evaluation:

  • A questionnaire was issued at all public events in 2005, and the results are currently being analysed as part of a university undergraduate project.
  • In 2005 over 650 people attended 17 walks around heritage sites in Cambridgeshire.
  • Monitoring of the web access statistics identify the Public Events and Sites to Visit pages as being the most-visited archaeology pages.
A readership survey of South Cambs magazine identified the conservation walks as a feature of interest.


Contact:

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Giants Hill Rampton guided walk @Cambridgeshire County Council