14 June 2010
Haringey youth go potty as Roman kiln returns to Highgate
Wood
A 2,000 year-old, rare Roman pottery kiln is set to be returned
to its original home in Highgate Wood, North London and to be put
on public display for the first time as part of the London 2012
Cultural Olympiad programme Stories of the World.
The original kiln, which is the only one of its kind in London,
was discovered during excavations at the Wood in 1970 and has since
been partly in storage at Bruce Castle Museum in Haringey.
Now it is planned to return the kiln to a new display in the Wood
by Spring next year. And this summer North London young people will
take part in a project to re-enact the use of the Roman kiln at the
Wood, as would have taken place between 50AD and 150AD. Over two
weeks in July they will employ a professional potter to help
design, make and dry clay pots, then to build a replica of the
original kiln in the Wood to fire pots, using the same methods the
Romans would have done.
The £20,000 project is a collaboration between the Museum of
London, the London Borough of Haringey and the City of London
Corporation, which manages Highgate Wood.
Stories of the World invites museums across the UK to work with
young people to re-interpret museum collections and historic sites.
The Cultural Olympiad project is led by the by the Museums,
Libraries and Archives Council (MLA) in partnership with the London
Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games
(LOCOG).
As part of this, The Museum of London is exploring the
continuing influence of the Romans in London today. In addition to
Bruce Castle Museum and the City of London Corporation, the Museum
of London is also working with Enfield Museum Service and Greenwich
Heritage Centre as well as delivering its own programme of youth
engagement projects. An exhibition featuring the results of all the
youth and partnership projects will be on show at the Museum of
London between May and October 2012.
Michael Welbank, Chairman of Highgate Wood Management Committee
at the City of London Corporation, said:
“I am delighted that this rare kiln will come back to its
original site in Highgate Wood. This was a fascinating time in
history which really put Highgate on the map and hopefully the
return of the kiln will spark interest in the Wood with
new visitors so they can discover for themselves what a special
place it is.”
Deborah Hedgecock, Curator at Bruce Castle Museum, Haringey
Culture, Libraries and Learning, said:
“We are thrilled to be able to showcase the Highgate Wood Roman
Kiln story as part of the ‘Stories of the World Project’. It is an
important site and a unique survival of a kiln in London. Our
project is a one-off opportunity for the young participants from
Exposure magazine and Haringey Youth Service to use their
imagination and creative talents. This will be a wonderful hands-on
experience for them, being literally in touch with the ancient past
and their local heritage.”
Background to the Roman kiln project
Between 1966 and 1974 a series of excavations were carried out
in Highgate Wood to attempt to discover the origins and history of
items of ancient pottery which had been uncovered on the site. An
area covering approximately half a hectare was examined at the
northern end of the Wood, at its highest point. Evidence pointed to
the kiln being used by itinerant craftsmen on a number of separate
occasions between 50AD and 150AD. It is believed the site provided
an ample source of fuel, water and of course clay to construct the
kilns and make the pottery.
The pottery produced at this time was called Highgate Wood Ware.
The pots were of an unusual dark colour and sometimes had a
distinctive pattern and a shape that resembled a poppy seed head.
They were made not just for local use but was sold in outlets in
the Roman capital, four miles to the south. They have even been
found in other excavations as far away as Colchester and
Lincoln.
During the summers of 1971 to 1973 a number of replica kilns
were constructed and re-enactments of the Roman firings took place
in the Wood. The youth project which will take place during the
summer 2010 will be based on these experiments of the 1970s.
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Ends
Notes to editors
City of London Corporation
The City of London Corporation is a uniquely diverse
organisation. It supports and promotes the City as the world
leader in international finance and business services and provides
local services and policing for those working in, living in and
visiting the Square Mile. It also provides valued services to
London and the nation. These include the Barbican Centre and
the Guildhall School of Music & Drama; the Guildhall Library
and Art Gallery and London Metropolitan Archive; a range of
education provision (including three City Academies); five Thames
bridges (including Tower Bridge and the Millennium Bridge); the
Central Criminal Court at Old Bailey; over 10,000 acres of open
spaces (including Hampstead Heath and Epping Forest), and three
wholesale food markets. It is also London’s Port Health
Authority and runs the Animal Reception Centre at Heathrow.
It works in partnership with neighbouring boroughs on the
regeneration of surrounding areas and the City Bridge Trust, which
it oversees, donates more than £15m to charity annually.
www.cityoflondon.gov.uk
Museum of London
Museum of London, Museum of London Docklands and Museum of
London Archaeology seek to inspire a passion for London. The
Museums are open daily 10am – 6pm and are FREE.
www.museumoflondon.org.uk
Bruce Castle Museum LB Haringey
Bruce Castle Museum is a Grade 1 listed building, formerly the
16th century manor house for Tottenham. Set in 20 acres of
parkland, it opened as a museum in 1906 and now houses the local
history museum and archive for the London Borough of Haringey, in
North London. The museum is a vibrant community resource run by
Haringey Culture, Libraries and Learning Service. The exhibitions
display historical collections which tell the stories of the people
of Haringey and shows the development of the area made up of
Hornsey, Wood Green, Tottenham and Highgate. It delivers a popular
education programme for schools and adult learning throughout the
year.
London 2012 Cultural Olympiad
The London 2012 Cultural Olympiad is the largest cultural
celebration in the history of the modern Olympic and Paralympic
Movements. Spread over four years, it is designed to give
everyone in the UK a chance to be part of London 2012 and inspire
creativity across all forms of culture, especially among young
people. Millions of people around the UK are already part of the
Cultural Olympiad, through the Inspire programme and Open Weekend.
The finale of the Cultural Olympiad will be in a twelve week
UK-wide festival in the summer of 2012, bringing together leading
artists from all over the world.
The Cultural Olympiad has benefited from a National Lottery
grant of £15.6 million from the Olympic Lottery Distributor. Other
funders include The Legacy Trust and Arts Council England. British
Council will commit £3million to the international development of
London 2012 Cultural Olympiad projects. BP and BT are Premier
Partners of the Cultural Olympiad. Panasonic are the presenting
partner of Film Nation: Shorts.
www.london2012.com/culture
Press contact
Lesley Mair, Press Office, City of London Corporation
Tel: 020 7332 3639 / Mobile: 07785 528 453
Email:
lesley.mair@cityoflondon.gov.uk