New magazine launched: 'East Midlands History and Heritage'

A new magazine called East Midlands History and Heritage (EMHH) has been launched. It aims to 'uncover and publicise the wealth of interesting stories that lie untold about the region’s past, its people and places.'

See below for a press release from Nottingham Trent University giving further details.

Led by Nottingham Trent University, the magazine is aimed at anyone with an interest in history, whether through local history societies, schools and colleges, museums or simply as individuals or families.  The magazine will also welcome contributions from people who would like to write about their own history.

The first issue, available online now, focuses on the English Civil War.*  This coincides with the opening of the new National Civil War Centre at Newark. The Civil War was a brutal affair and the East Midlands played a critical role.  The region had strategic importance: it was a crossroad between north and south; armies marched across it back and forth.  It also endured several destructive sieges, which brought death and disease (and treachery and heroism).  The costs were high, and the long-term consequences profound in terms of disability and social and religious disruption.

The first two issues of EMHH will be available as hard copies in outlets such as local libraries, archives and the National Civil War Centre itself, as well as being downloadable from the website: eastmidlandshistory.org.uk/. The magazine will also be distributed to schools in the region.

Dr Nick Hayes, EMHH editor and reader in urban history at Nottingham Trent University’s School of Arts and Humanities, said: “There are so many interesting stories to tell about the history of this region. We want to make it a real community magazine, so we’re looking for stories from everyone with something to say – from family histories, to events, to school or community research projects. And we’re happy to help with this and to help you reach new, bigger audiences.”

The EMHH magazine is supported by universities, academic historians, archivists and museums specialists across the region. Hard copies of first issue will be available week commencing 15 June 2015.

* The magazine includes several articles on aspects of the Civil Wars in Nottinghamshire.

Archaeology Day in Southwell, 17 January 2015

I've only just found out about an Archaeology Day at the Minster School in Southwell tomorrow. The event is being run by the Researching Roman Southwell team and confirmed speakers are:

• Matt Beresford (MBArchaeology) - Roman Southwell
• Andy Gaunt (Mercian Archaeological Services) - King John’s Palace, Clipstone
• Rachael Hall (National Trust) - A Late Iron Age/Roman Coin Hoard from Derbyshire
• Kevin Winter (Civil War Centre) - National Civil War Centre, Newark

The Archaeology Day is, in fact, an afternoon event and starts at 2.30pm. There is a charge of £5.

Further information is available on the Researching Roman Southwell website.

Project to investigate Newark's Civil War siegeworks

The Archaeology Department at Sheffield University is working on a project with the National Civil War Centre at Newark to study the 17th-century siegeworks that surround the town. The earthworks were the subject of a comprehensive Royal Commission on Historic Monuments publication back in 1964 and the Newark Civil War Project 'will review this report in the light of subsequent archaeological research and will assess the potential of modern geophysical and topographical survey techniques to locate and record both upstanding and destroyed remains.'

• Newark Civil War Project page on the Sheffield University website
• Article on the project on the Newark Advertiser website.

Work starts on the National Civil War Centre in Newark

Contractors have started work converting the Old Magnus Buildings on Appletongate into a £5.3 million National Civil War Centre "where the centrepiece theme will be the deadly struggles for power in 17th century Britain." Newark was a staunchly Royalist town and played an important role in the English Civil Wars: King Charles I surrendered to the Scots Army here in 1646.

• Civil War Centre, Newark on Trent
• Newark Advertiser article

Millgate Museum in Newark closes

Millgate Museum in Newark opens for the last time today. Newark & Sherwood District Council took the decision to close the  museum a while ago, describing it as having served its purpose and having "become tired."

A museum of the English Civil War is being developed. It will "tell the story of Newark and its residents and  demonstrate the resilience of ordinary lives set against affairs of the nation and the world and interpret the British Civil Wars and Newark’s key role in them."

The new centre will be based at the Old Magnus Buildings on Appletongate which once housed the town's museum until it closed in 2005.

• Newark Advertiser article
• Friends of Newark & Sherwood Museums Service - Civil War Centre

Nottinghamshire stories featured in The BBC's The Great British Story

I've only just got around to watching the last few episodes of Michael Wood's splendid series, 'The Great British Story: a People's History' which was broadcast this summer and was delighted to see that Nottinghamshire stories are featured in two episodes:

• Episode 5, 'Lost Worlds and New Worlds', visits Scrooby and north Nottinghamshire and discusses the importance of the Pilgrim Fathers (according to one local, "America began here in Scrooby", so ponder on that claim!)
• Episode 6, 'The Age of Revolution', includes a sequence shot in Upton parish church with Professor Martyn Bennett of Nottingham Trent University, which used the entries in the Upton parish constable's accounts to illustrate the impact of the English Civil Wars on village life in the 1640s

Regrettably, these episodes can no longer be viewed on iPlayer. The BBC microsite is here: www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00vyqz7

Newark gets Heritage Lottery funding for Civil War centre

Newark has been successful in securing £3.5 million of Heritage Lottery funding for a national English Civil War centre to be based in the Old Magnus Buildings in Appletongate. The whole project has been costed at £5.4 million and the local council is now looking to other funding bodies to make up the shortfall.

• Newark Advertiser article
• News item on Friends of Newark and Sherwood Museums Service website
• BBC Nottingham article
• BBC video clip

English Civil War museum planned for Newark

Newark and Sherwood District Council has agreed to submit a bid for £3m to the Heritage Lottery Fund to establish a "national Civil War museum" in Newark. The plan is to use the Old Magnus Buildings (which ironically used to house the town's museum until a few years ago) on Appleton Gate to accommodate the new museum.

• Article in the Newark Advertiser
• Friends of Newark Museum website