Digging at the castle to find past secrets

Budding archaeologists will sieve through soil at Pontefract Castle, as excavation work begins on the site's Royal Apartments.
By The Newsroom
Published 16th May 2016, 10:11 BST
Updated 16th May 2016, 12:16 BST
Pupils at St Helens Primary School in Hemsworth get involved in a dig at Pontefract Castle.Pupils at St Helens Primary School in Hemsworth get involved in a dig at Pontefract Castle.
Pupils at St Helens Primary School in Hemsworth get involved in a dig at Pontefract Castle.

Schools and visitors will get the chance to trawl through the dirt from a previous excavation to see if they can find any historic treasures.

Morning and afternoon workshops will take place at the castle, which is currently undergoing a £3.5m Heritage Lottery Fund conservation project, from Tuesday May 17 to Saturday May 21 and can be booked by calling 01924 302700 or by emailing [email protected].

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No need to book for drop in sessions held on Saturday May 21, from 11am-4pm.

Coun Jacquie Speight, Wakefield Council’s deputy cabinet member for culture, leisure and sport, said: “We are delighted that pupils from nine local schools are joining us this month to experience archaeology in action.

“We hope that visitors and local groups will join in with one of the other planned workshops and drop in sessions. It’s a rare opportunity to get ‘hands on’ during a dig at this important heritage site.”

Related topics:SchoolsWakefield Council