Lincolnshire students try their hand at 1,000-year-old crafts

The popular 1,000 Years of Traditional Crafts event returns to Lincoln Castle from July 3 to 5 with hundreds of people expected to try out skills from willow weaving to blacksmithing and chainsaw carving.

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The Heritage Skills Centre kicked off the celebrations on Friday, July 3, with a full day of hands on workshops and construction career advice specifically for young people and students in Lincolnshire.

Robert Woodhead Limited who have been responsible for the recently completed restoration of Lincoln Castle, are sponsoring the event.

Heritage Skills Centre Manager, Kathryn Banfield, said: “It’s great to be able to bring 1,000 of traditional craft to schools, colleges and other education groups for the first time and we are delighted to be able to offer young people the opportunity to get involved with a really diverse range of workshops from stonemasonry to candle making on offer.

“We have been very well supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund and Woodhead Heritage. Having some of the people here who have actually worked on the conservation of the castle will really help to bring the crafts to life.

“There are activities for learners of all ages who will get to try their hand at a host of traditional crafts and skills in the fantastic setting of Lincoln Castle.”

Simon Butler, Heritage Conservation Manager for Woodhead Heritage, the specialist team responsible for the works at the castle said: “Lincoln Castle has been an amazing project for the whole team at Woodhead and we are keen to make sure that the skills used in projects like this are passed on to future generations in order to continue to preserve the past and protect our rich architectural history.”

The event is ticketed at £12 for adults, £9.60 for concessions and £7.20 for children.

Tickets include admission to the event, Medieval Wall Walk, Victorian Prison and David PJ Ross Magna Carta Vault. Admission also includes a free return visit, which must be made within six months and can include daytime events.

Hands-on activities for all ages include:

• Medieval tile making
• Traditional fresco painting
• Candle making
• Make a medieval style ‘parchment’ document complete with unique Magna
• Carta 800 wax seal
• Design and make a heraldic pendant and keepsake treasure bag
• Leather-working
• As well as demonstrations in silversmithing and traditional weaving.

Have-a-go workshops in traditional skills for 14+:

• Pargetting – 1.5 hour workshop in the traditional form of sculpting motifs and animals on to the outside of lime rendered houses
• 
Roofing – 1.5 hour workshop on our traditional roofing rig
• Stonemasonry – 1.5 hour workshop learning traditional techniques of working stone
• Joinery – 1.5 hour workshops with the Cathedral joiners having a go at some traditional joint work
• Lime mortars – 1 hour session on the explosive lime cycle and have a go with traditional lime mortars
• Blacksmithing – 2 hour session with traditional blacksmith to make a small key ring
• Object conservation – 1.5 hour session with trained conservators to discover how they look after historic objects
• Stained Glass – 45 minute session trying copper foil stained glass.