Secrets of the High Woods Celebration
September 13, 2016
A family discovery day celebrating the heritage of the South Downs will bring history to life at the South Downs Centre and Capron House gardens in Midhurst on Saturday 24 September 10am-4pm.
There will be a range of activities, from Renaissance dancing and fight demonstrations, to fun children’s archaeology activities. There will also be the chance to try out archery and coppicing, watch falconry displays, enjoy a Neolithic performance, stalls, music and talks. Discover the secret archaeology recently revealed under ancient woodland in the South Downs National Park through CGI animation, augmented reality and an oral history ‘listening tree’.
The South Downs Folk Singers will perform traditional local songs throughout the day and fantastic local food and drink will be available.
The celebration marks the end of Secrets of the High Woods, a three-year community archaeology project to uncover the lost archaeology hidden under the South Downs National Park’s woodland.
The project used LiDAR technology fitted in a small plane directing a laser at the ground to measure the reflected light. This data was analysed to create a 3D map showing all the ‘lumps and bumps’ under the trees and local archaeologists and volunteers then worked on the ground to investigate these sites further.
The project also trained a volunteer team to undertake archive and photographic research and capture oral histories to build a picture of the human stories linked to our woods.
The project has been led by the South Downs National Park Authority, in partnership with Chichester District Council and supported by West Sussex and Hampshire County Councils and made possible thanks to a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund.
Find out more at www.southdowns.gov.uk/highwoods