Battle of Hatfield Investigation Society

Does the Heritage of the Welbeck Estate Include A King Killed At Cuckney ?

The Battle of Hatfield Investigation Society "BOHIS”  have been awarded Heritage Lottery Fund “HLF” support

The Battle of Hatfield Investigation Society (BOHIS) has been awarded £15,600 Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) support to explore and share the history of three villages on the Welbeck Estate, North Nottinghamshire.

The society’s project aims to bring together local people from Cuckney, Norton and Holbeck to discover more about some of the key moments in the area’s past.

Plans for the project include archaeology workshops in local schools and digitising a collection of images of Cuckney and the Welbeck Estate dating from between 1880 and 1940. There will also be training for volunteers in non-invasive archaeological techniques including Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) and Magnetometry.

The volunteers will then use these new skills to investigate the grounds of St Mary’s Church, Cuckney where the remains of Cuckney Castle are sited. It is hoped the work will help to determine the site(s) of the mass graves discovered in 1950 / 1951 which may relate to the Anglo-Saxon Battle of Hatfield (632 AD).

A Community Open Day will be held on the 26th September and onsite activities will take place between Monday 26th and Friday 30th October 2015.

Commenting on the award, Chairman Paul Jameson said, “We are delighted to have received the backing of the Heritage Lottery Fund and are confident the enterprise will bind local people together in a common purpose. We’d also like to express our appreciation to the Cuckney Village Hall committee for granting use of their facilities at a very minimal cost to support those taking part in the five on site days and the prior first Community Day”.

Vanessa Harbar, Head of HLF East Midlands, said: “This area has an intriguing and untold history and this National Lottery investment will equip people with the skills to explore it.”

The project was formally announced at their “kick off” barbeque on Saturday 18th July which was attended by about 80 people and raised £415.

About the Heritage Lottery Fund

Thanks to National Lottery players, we invest money to help people across the UK explore, enjoy and protect the heritage they care about - from the archaeology under our feet to the historic parks and buildings we love, from precious memories and collections to rare wildlife. www.hlf.org.uk @heritagelottery

For further information, images and interviews, please contact

Paul Jameson (Chairman, BOHIS) on 07894 297206 or email him at [email protected]