Forton Lake gets support from the lottery!
The Nautical Archaeology Society in
collaboration with the Hampshire and Wight Trust for Maritime Archaeology
have been awarded a £25,000 Local Heritage Initiative grant by the Countryside
Agency on behalf of the Heritage Lottery Fund to promote the archaeology of
Forton Lake in Gosport, Hampshire.
The Forton Lake Project will be a community
based heritage initiative that will allow the inhabitants of Gosport to
research, record and display their heritage. The project aims to bring
together a community impacted by recent housing development and provide
social inclusion through a broad archaeological project. The project is
being supported by St Vincent College in Gosport.
The project will focus on an area of
Portsmouth Harbour called Forton Lake. This area of the harbour was
the focus of the newly built Millennium Bridge Project situated next to
Explosion, the Museum of Naval Firepower. The Forton Lake Project will
show people that cross the bridge that a forgotten piece of local history
and archaeology lies beneath them.
It is known that Forton Lake was in use as
early as the Saxon period and its' use has been continuous. Today it is home
to at least 20 abandoned vessels of different ages and types, some of which
have local importance. Parts of the shoreline are utilised by local sailing
clubs, but much of its use and importance to the local community is forgotten
or ignored. The Forton Lake Project will seek to rectify this by involving
all members of the Gosport community, from school children to pensioners
through active participation in the project and a range of outreach
activities.
The Forton Lake Project will also serve to
demonstrate that archaeology and heritage does not stop at the high water
mark, but continues on to the foreshore and even under the water. Jane
Maddocks, Archaeology Teacher at St Vincent College said "The work will
be a unique opportunity to allow the inhabitants of Gosport to take part
in the heritage on their doorstep".
The project will be running from the
10th-16th July 2006 with a free public lecture at 7pm on the Thursday
13th at St Vincent College, Gosport . Thanks to a grant from Nationwide
Building Society there will also be an archaeological extravaganza open
day on the Sunday 16th from 10am-3pm which will include tours and free
activities for children. Other events are planned for later in the year.
If you would like further information or
would like to join us on site please contact the NAS.
Contact page
The Local heritage Initiative is a national
grant scheme that helps local groups to investigate, explain and care for
their local landscapes, landmarks, traditions and cultures. The Heritage
Lottery Fund provides the grant but the scheme is a partnership, administered
buy the Countryside Agency with additional funding from Nationwide Building
Society.
Projects home page
Top of page
|
Projects 
