Dig Up History In Gunnersbury Park

Museum of London archaeologists will attend

Come along to Gunnersbury Park and Museum on Sunday, 21 July, to explore archaeology at a free family fun day.

Join experts from the Museum of London Archaeologists (MOLA) from 11am-4.30pm to dig up the park’s fascinating history.

Visitors can take part in an archaeology treasure hunt around the park, listen to talks by the experts and handle 2000-year-old artefacts. There will also be geophysics and geomatics workshops where people can learn how to use the specialised equipment and understand archaeological survey results.

Children will be able to bring history to life by dressing as a Roman soldier or Queen Boudicca. They can also join in sandpit archaeological digs and experience life ‘below the stairs’ as a servant in the Victorian kitchens.

The day will also offer real-life landscape surveys sessions with the archaeologists, as well as the opportunity for people to share their own memories of Gunnersbury Park by recording stories and adding copies of their photos to the museum’s growing historical collection.

The day will showcase the work of the archaeologists who have been surveying the park ahead of second round funding bid to the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF). In mid-2012, the park was awarded a first round Parks for People development grant of £321,000, and the museum was awarded a separate Heritage development grant of £386,400. The funding is being used to conduct surveys, consultation and to develop plans to restore the park and museum. If successful at the second round, Gunnersbury Park and Museum are in line to receive £7.7m to implement the extensive restoration plans.

Leader of Ealing Council, Councillor Julian Bell, said: “This is a fantastic opportunity for people to learn about the long and rich history of Gunnersbury Park and Museum, as well as get involved in the incredible archaeological work going on in the park. Visitors will also be able to sign-up for the real-life archaeological digs, which will take place later in the summer.”

For more information about the event, please email gunnersbury@ealing.gov.uk or call 020 8825 6787.

July 13, 2013