Aims:

To promote the understanding, study and awareness of the county’s heritage to a wide community audience, by providing information in readily accessible formats.

Objectives:

·         To deliver educational benefits to an audience ranging from young people up to higher education and life long learning.

·         To provide high quality information to the existing heritage audience, as well as reaching a new and wider community.

·         To ensure that Revealing Cheshire’s Past is accessible to the wider community and that all sectors of society can benefit from it, by providing information in a series of attractive formats, at a wide range of local venues.

Project Details and Outcomes

Community Exhibition

A travelling exhibition which provides a short introduction to the archaeology of Cheshire can be used at libraries, community venues, schools and conferences and accompanied by factsheet dispenser.

Shown in over 30 venues since June 2003 and still in demand with booking commitments throughout 2006

Museum Exhibition

A touring exhibition that tells the story of life in Cheshire through the ages, by using selected archaeological and historic sites and objects found in the county. The project worked in partnership with local museums from Chester, Warrington, Northwich and Halton to identify over 100 objects for display. Most of these objects are held in museum stores and are not on permanent display. It was visited by over 40,000 people at six venues between October 2004 and January 2006.

The exhibition is divided into themes with information given in different layers of detail on panels and labels. The fact sheets are available to take away with their fuller, chronological, approach. Interactive exhibits were designed to engage the audiences in alternative learning styles.

Fact sheets

Audience research identified written material as one of the preferred ways of learning. The fact sheets expand on the information provided in the exhibitions and are fully illustrated with photographs of sites and artefacts, as well as site reconstructions. One is aimed at Key Stage 2 (ages 8 – 11) and the remaining give a chronological and thematic history of archaeology in Cheshire.

Reference sets were sent to schools, libraries and colleges in Cheshire. They are also distributed freely in libraries and museums. 40,000 were printed initially and demand has resulted in a reprint. They are also available to download from the website.

Public access database

To provide access to the data held in the County Historic Environment Record for those requiring more detailed information.

Available online and promoted through the Peoples Network in Libraries.  Search facilities are provided in the form of a simple search (word or phrase) or an advanced search (name, archaeological theme, parish, district, date). Photographs are included where possible. Visitors can browse the database as guests or can register as users for more detailed data and search options.

Website

The website hosts the public access database and provides summaries of the information in the exhibitions and leaflets, details of the work of the historic environment team, information on sites to visit and up-to-date information on latest developments and current issues.