New Wayland Heritage Project on Line

A new three year community based project called 'Capturing Our Wayland Heritage' started on January 5th. It is being run by the Wayland Partnership Development Trust following a successful Heritage Lottery Fund bid for £124.000. A Wayland Heritage Officer, Sue White, is based at Wayland House in Watton, she will be working along side the local communities that are members of the Wayland Partnership. The parishes covered by the project are Ashill, Carbrooke, Caston, Great Cressingham, Griston, Great Hockham, Little Cressingham with Threxton, Merton, Ovington, Saham Toney, Scoulton, Stow Bedon with Breckles, Thompson and the Market Town of Watton.

The Capturing Our Wayland Heritage project was developed with the aim of exploring, recording and celebrateing Wayland’s unique cultural and landscape heritage. The project officer will be working with local history groups and schools, providing support, activities and training, she will also help set up new interest groups where they do not already exist. The first new group to be formed is an online photographic group for the Wayland area, anyone who would like to join, or just look at the images, can do so on www.flickr.com/groups/wayland-heritage. The project also has a web page http://wayland-heritage.blogspot.com where you will find news, information, images and shortly a growing number of articals. Topics to be explored could include: landscape history, archaeology, myths, buildings, oral & family history, trades, crafts, fairs, sport, traditions, farming, ‘Battle Area’, airfields, transport, religion, food and fashion.‘Capturing our Wayland Heritage’ will help create an archive that will be a legacy for generations to come. If you live within the area and would like to become involved in unearthing Waylands hidden heritage please contact Sue White on 01953 880216 or email: sue@wayland.org.uk .

The results of the project will be shared with the community and visitors to the area, through a wide range of different media; leaflet, book, exhibition, on-site interpretation, website, artwork, photography, Video and DVD. Revealing Wayland’s hidden heritage also aims to help the local economy by encouraging more tourism in the area.