Path to discovery with new heritage trail
A chance to mix historical discovery with a whole lot of fun is in store at the launch of the new Swadlincote Heritage Trail.
An organised walk led by local experts from The Magic Attic history archive will follow the route and show those taking part its stopping points.
The points of interest were chosen by South Derbyshire people at a series of events and through online consultation during 2016. Those joining the walk on Thursday 3 August 2017 will be among the first to find out what has been included.
There has been community involvement in other aspects of the project too – the Heritage Trail logo has been designed using ideas from Elsie-Mae O’Neill, Jazzmyn Moore, Barnaby Morley, Tia Power and Polly Budworth who took part in a competition at the District’s annual Festival of Leisure.
Design students from Burton and South Derbyshire College also helped and will be involved in the project again, designing an online app for the trail when they return to college in September.
Cllr Peter Watson, Chairman of South Derbyshire District Council’s Environmental and Development Services Committee, said: “It’s been great to see the amount of local interest in the trail and I look forward to seeing it completed.
“We are very grateful to The Magic Attic and the dozens of local people who have sent in ideas and photographs, as well as to the funders who have helped turn this great idea into reality.”
The trail is being supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund and East Midlands Airport (EMA) Community Fund, and the team responsible for the research will be fund-raising for the money needed to install plaques along the route over the next few months.
A second trail covering Newhall, Church Gresley, Woodville, Midway and Hartshorne is to be launched at a later date.
Adam Greaves, Corporate Social Responsibility Executive at EMA, said: “The East Midlands Airport Community Fund Committee was delighted to be able to help this excellent project and we are confident that it will make a sizeable benefit to the people of Swadlincote and the surrounding communities.”
Anyone interested in taking part in the inaugural heritage trail walk should meet at 1.45pm for a 2pm start on Thursday 3 August 2017 in the courtyard at Sharpe’s Pottery Museum in West Street, Swadlincote. It will end at 4pm.
The following day (Friday August 4, 2017) will see the district council’s environmental education project team, Nature’s Woodland and Derbyshire Library Service join forces to focus on some family fun.
A ‘Can we Fix it?’ event, running from 10am to 2.30pm, will include storytelling and the chance to have a go at basic joinery and design. People will be able to try putting simple door and window frames together and seeing how they work, before seeking examples of them on a shop window trail.
More information about both events – at which the Swadlincote town crier will be present - is available from the environmental education project team tel: 01283 535039 or email: rosliston@southderbyshire.gov.uk
Or visit Swadlincote Townscape Heritage Scheme on Facebook.
28 July 2017