Battle of Hatfield Investigation Society

Dear All,

BOHIS have a major meeting with our preferred archaeological team (MERCIAN) at the Greendale Oak, Cuckney, this Thursday 8th September at 1pm.

These are exciting times and I hope you realise how much unpaid work has been performed, just to get us to this meeting stage.

In synthesis, we need to agree and cost the components of a now almost fully realised Project Plan and also decide which areas we would like to request permission to perform invasive work upon via the Parochial Church Council ("P.C.C.") / Diocese of Southwell.

We should aim for a Project start date of 1st March or 2nd April 2017 (... well .. we don't want to start on April Fools Day !!).

Meeting Objectives

After the meeting we :-

1/ Seek to be in a position to immediately complete the Heritage Lottery Fund ("HLF") online Project Enquiry Form (1000 words max.) which is a precursor to being granted a face to face meeting in Nottingham with the HLF.

2/ Seek to know what to put in a form to the P.C.C., which if accepted, would be presented by them to the Diocese of Southwell.

Proposed Phase 2 (Invasive) Project Title

The Cuckney Connection - A Battle, a Church and a Castle, cloaked in a riddle.

Proposed Plan Summary

BOHIS have been busy formulating a full (but still Draft) plan that encompasses which subjects to include in our Phase 2 (Invasive) bid to the HLF.

Presently we are considering including :

• Analysis of the skeletons possibly relating to the Battle of Hatfield (originally discovered in 1950/1)

• Invasive Cuckney Castle

• Norton Prisoner of War Camp (with Carburton Camp addendum)

• Possible additional subjects suggested by responses from (online) SURVEYMONKEY / or paper based equivalents (which needs to take place over the next couple of weeks).

Proposed Plan Details

Our project will involve educating and enabling the local Community (the 3 villages of Cuckney,Norton and Holbeck ,(plus 2 local schools) to fully participate in an interactive invasive quest.

This will attempt to locate physical evidence of Cuckney Castle , to analyse skeletons and determine whether they relate to the Battle of Hatfield plus to fully explore the history of Norton (Prisoner of War) Camp.

• Firstly, suggest / agree (Phase 2) CORE Subjects with Community via a, “Which Subjects Survey” delivered by SURVEYMONKEY & paper based survey.

• Follow with delivery of a “Setting The Scene” (MATCH FUNDED) Community Day 1 which will summarise the activities that will occur.

• This will be operationalised by delivering Pre & Post Activity Educational Field Schools and workshops. The Pre activity Field Schools will enable the community to get the most out of the archaeological activities that will take place shortly afterwards.

• The Workshops which reveal the research of Norton Camp will be Pre Invasive Activities.

• Deliver of a “Working Saturday” which will enable the Community to have weekend participation.

• The Workshops which reveal both the results of the Castle & skeletal archaeology will of course be Post Invasive Activities.

• There will also be an Art competition where children and Adults can enter one exhibit under the theme of, “Cuckney Long Ago” or “The Battle of Hatfield”, or “Norton POW Camp” with 6 prizes (Winners / Runners up – 3 categories U8, 8-12, Adults) – this will be a “During Invasive Activity”.

• We propose development of a Cuckney & Meden Schools delivery only scrapbook “This Is my Family tree” / “All about me” /  “Communitree” in order to engage children in thinking about the general concept of time, history and family. – again this will be a “During Invasive Activity”.

• “Findings & Interpretation” (MATCH FUNDED) (Final) Summary Community Days 2 & 3 will detail the findings of the activities that have occurred via the Castle and the skeletons (possibly from the Battle of Hatfield).

• Produce and distribute the (proposed 250) Community Books + 250 Norton Camp booklets.

• Finally assess Project Outcomes (as required by HLF) of Phase 2 chosen Subjects with Community feedback via a, “Community Events Satisfaction Survey” again delivered by SURVEYMONKEY & paper based survey.

Other News

1/ Welbeck Estates Permissions

As regards the ratification of Welbeck Estates Company Permissions re. land abutting St. Mary's (which may be especially relevant to Cuckney Castle).

We are asking  for an amended timescale agreement to the end of 2020.

You should note that we do not wish to unneccesarily elongate the project until 2020 but that the current agreement is only until the end of 2017.

Last week we received word from Welbeck that a permissions letter will be forthcoming around mid September (so only another couple of weeks to go !). This is great news.

2/ Match Funding for HLF Bid

It's been confirmed in writing by Grantscape (acting as administrative agents for SolarCentury) that the funding awarded to BOHIS will remain available beyond their originally stipulated "Start of Project work Must be by" date of September 16.

We will let you know the outcome of the meeting as soon as possible.

Regards,

From all the Team