Historians discover ‘Fountains’ of knowledge!
Mon, 10 Dec 2012 15:25:00 GMT
Students get the Abbey habit as they learn from English Heritage AND the National Trust
Pictured above are some of the students from the University, who are considering a career in teaching and wanted to find out more about how learning takes place at the abbey, so they donned robes which are used by school groups to help them think about life as a monk
FOR the first time, the UK’s top two heritage organisations have teamed up for a joint session designed to give special insights into their work. And they did it for a group of University of Huddersfield history students.
Fountains Abbey, in North Yorkshire, is a World Heritage site jointly managed by English Heritage and the National Trust. They agreed to work together and provide a joint training day that would give undergraduates an understanding of how a large heritage site works, plus an overview of the various roles that are available to people working in the heritage sector.
The day was principally aimed at University of Huddersfield students taking second and third year modules that combine history with heritage, but there were also general history students in the party of 50. The event was arranged by lecturer Dr Rob Ellis and also in attendance were lecturers Dr Lindsay Dodd and Dr Janette Martin.
There were sessions and workshops related to heritage interpretation and educational activities. Some students were given flip cams and recorded their tour of the Fountains estate.
Meanwhile, English Heritage and National Trust staff were on hand to offer advice in terms of volunteering opportunities and career development.
Dr Ellis said: “This was a great opportunity for our students to be involved in an innovative collaboration between the University, English Heritage and the National Trust. Nearly all the students involved in the day are involved in projects with external partners, so this helped them think about different audiences and the presentation of history. Thanks are due to all the staff at the National Trust and English Heritage for the sessions they delivered and for organising a great day. The only criticism from the students is that they would liked to have stayed longer”.
