The ground has (literally) been broken on an exciting new project aimed at uncovering the hidden history of a Northumberland seaside village.
Community archaeologist Barry Mead has been working on a special archaeological dig with children from Cambois Primary School to uncover artefacts from the village’s former Victorian School.
The dig is part of Cambois Hidden Depths, a multi-disciplinary project encouraging local people to explore the history of Cambois through art, photography, dance and storytelling.
Barry, who was named Community Archaeologist of the Year in 2018, said: “It has been absolutely brilliant and the kids have worked so hard, and we found loads of stuff related to what was the original building.
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“We found bricks, we found bits of broken roof slate, we found mortar, we found window glass, we’ve found pottery and even found sewer pipes — so we’ve proved they had running water here as well.
“Some of the kids didn’t even want to have their tea breaks, their lunch breaks. The excitement of digging soil, you never know what you’re going to find.”
The excavation marks the first of a series of initiatives across the village in collaboration with Cambois charity, The Tute.
Ryan Longstaff, Deputy Headteacher at Cambois Primary School, added: “It has been fantastic to welcome Barry into the school and encourage the children to get involved in the excavation. Cambois has such a rich unexplored history, and to be able to learn about our past has been phenomenal.”
Led by innovative theatre production company, November Club and funded by The Heritage Fund and Arts Council England, Cambois Hidden Depths — a six-month project — has been designed to give the community opportunities to work together with professional artists and heritage experts to create a showcase weekend of events later in the year.
Joe Hufton, artistic director and chief executive at November Club, said: “We’re delighted to be working with The Tute to bring the history of Cambois to life. We want to show people that great things happen here and give the community something to feel proud of.
“The work with Cambois Primary and Barry Mead is a taste of things to come, and we can’t wait to see the final presentation over the celebratory weekend in September.”
To learn more about Cambois Hidden Depths and keep up to date with upcoming events, visit the November Club website.
