The workshop will be held at the historic My Place, a popular youth services venue which served as the town’s coal exchange from 1837, later becoming the Customs House. The venue is particularly significant as the land on which it stands would have been within the original agricultural settlement at Middlesbrough which was present by the mid-12th century, if not several centuries earlier. Middlesbrough also had a prominent priory church dissolved by Henry VIII in 1537.
Tees Archaeology officer Peter Rowe said “Middlesbrough was heavily industrialised from the 1830’s onwards but by using historic maps and texts as well as aerial photos, we will attempt to trace its medieval origins during the workshop. There will also be the chance to examine at first hand some of the finds made during the building of the new police station. The finds from the 2004 excavations were well preserved and included cobbled surfaces, rubbish pits and even a complete medieval jug, painting a very different picture of Middlesbrough than that generally held by people both locally and nationally.”
The River Tees Rediscovered Landscape Partnership, with £1,889,500 from the Heritage Lottery Fund, is running 20 projects over the next 5 years to help communities to reconnect with the river and enjoy its unique natural, social and industrial heritage.
The workshop
The workshop takes place 10am-3pm on Tuesday 3rd February. Please book your place by contacting Chris Corbett on 01642 616144 or email Christine.corbett@groundwork.org.uk; places are limited. Tea and coffee will be available during the day; people are advised to bring a packed lunch or take advantage of the on-site café at My Place. Please come prepared for the outdoors as part of the workshop may take a short walk to look at significant sites on the ground, depending on the weather.