Past/Future Events

All the events are free to attend. Most of them are only for project participants or for those who have pre-booked. For sessions at Flint Avenue, the stated time is when the session will be running, but people are encouraged to arrive 15 minutes earlier to ensure that we can start on time . If you are interested in any of these activities please contact spa.ponds@gmail.com and be aware that the dates, times, and venues are subject to change.

LAST UPDATED: 8th August 2017

September 2017

  • During September and early October we will be preparing material for the dissemination and celebration stage of the Project – dates and venue to be confirmed.
  • Saturday 16th September 2017 (10am – 2pm) – Spa Ponds Heritage Project Stall at Forest Town Market

October 2017

  • Wednesday 4th October 2017 (7pm – 9pm) – FTNCG meeting. Matt Beresford to share Community Archaeology findings at Forest Town Arena (Welfare), Sherwood Room
  • Saturday 14th October 2017 (10am – 1pm) – Spa Ponds Heritage Project Exhibition Event open to members of the public with no need to book at the Mansfield Museum – Refreshments will be available.

Project timeline

  • Project launch stage (through to end of January 2017) – Publicising the project; introductory sessions; establishing project management group; organising oral history training; and recruiting project participants.
  • History research stage (January 2017 – April 2017) – History research skills training; map workshop; visits to libraries, museums and archives; recording memories of Spa Ponds (oral histories); and recording research findings.
  • Community archaeology stage (April 2017 – September 2017) – Workshops; preparing Spa Ponds site for non-intrusive archaeology; ground truthing and landscape surveying of Spa Ponds; drafting initial community-led Heritage Management Plan; sharing and interpreting results, including public sessions with guest speakers and group presentations.
  • Dissemination and celebration stage (September 2017 – October 2017) – Collating and presenting project findings, including oral histories, production of Heritage Management Plan, celebration events and exhibitions.

Previous activities

  • Saturday 14th January 2017 (9:30am – 3:30pm) – Introductory Workshop with Matt Beresford of MBArchaeology at Flint Avenue Community Centre – Introduction to the training that will be on offer throughout the project, providing an opportunity for people to register their interest in being project participants. Click here for an account of the Introductory Workshop.
  • Friday 27th January 2017 (1pm – 4pm) – Oral history training with Ann. This training was for those who had registered with Ann in advance of the session.
  • Friday 3rd February 2017 (from 10am) – Project Management Group Meeting for members of the Project Management Group only. If you are interested, e-mail spa.ponds@gmail.com
  • Friday 3rd February 2017 (from around 2pm following management meeting) – Oral history training with Ann. This training is only for those who have registered with Ann in advance of the session. If you are interested, e-mail spa.ponds@gmail.com
  • Saturday 25th February 2017 (10am – 3pm) – History Research Skills Training Workshop with Matt Beresford of MBArchaeology at Flint Avenue Community Centre. Open to all project participants. Click here for an account of the Research Skills Workshop.
  • Friday 3rd March 2017 (from 10am) – Heritage Management Plan session (to include planning visits to archives), as well as whole group research time (using skills from the History Research Skills Training Workshop) at Flint Avenue Community Centre. Open to all project participants.
  • Saturday 11th March (10am – 3pm) – LiDAR Workshop with David Astbury of MBArchaeology at Flint Avenue Community Centre. Open to all project participants. An introduction to the use of LiDAR surveying in archaeology. We will cover the aims and purpose of LiDAR surveys, how they are undertaken, what they can reveal and how archaeologists use this information. We will also look at the LiDAR results for Spa Ponds and the surrounding area. Click here for an account of the LiDAR Workshop.
  • Friday 17th March 2017 (10am – 11am) – Project Management Group meeting
  • Friday 17th March 2017 (11am – 3pm) – Research time (using skills from the LIDAR Workshop) at Flint Avenue Community Centre.
  • Friday 24th March 2017 (12:30 – 3pm) – Oral history training with Ann
  • Friday 31st March 2017 (10am – 11am) – Project Management Group meeting
  • Friday 31st March 2017 (11am – 3pm) – Research time (using skills from previous workshops and preparing for the maps workshop) at Flint Avenue Community Centre.
  • Saturday 1st April 2017 (10am – 3pm) – Sharing memories of Gara Ponds / Spa Ponds at Flint Avenue Community Centre. This is a session to share and discuss photographs and memories of the Spa Ponds site as part of the Oral Histories project. Those interested in taking part are welcome to drop in at any time from 10am – 3pm. Refreshments and friendly conversation will be available. Those interested in discussing this event should contact spa.ponds@gmail.com
  • Thursday 20th April 2017 (from 10am, meeting at Clipstone Drive entrance to Spa Ponds) – LIDAR Ground Truthing at Spa Ponds with Matt Beresford of MBArchaeology.
    Walkover survey and ground truthing session at the Spa Ponds site, to locate, identify and interpret features highlighted on the LIDAR survey results.
  • Friday 21st April 2017 (10am – 3pm) – Interpreting Maps Workshop with Matt Beresford of MBArchaeology at Flint Avenue Community Centre. Open to all project participants.
    An introduction to the use of maps within historical research. We will explore the origins of maps and their usage through time, and look at specific types of maps that can be used in our research. These will include Ordnance Survey maps, Tithe maps, Enclosure maps, Town maps and the Historic Environment Records. The workshop will also feature a series of map plotting exercises.
  • Thursday 27th April 2017 (from 10am, meeting at Clipstone Drive entrance to Spa Ponds) – LIDAR Ground Truthing at Spa Ponds (Part 2) with Matt Beresford of MBArchaeology.

    Walkover survey and ground truthing session at the Spa Ponds site, to locate, identify and interpret features highlighted on the LIDAR survey results. This session will explore the area around Beeston Lodge, along with the Eastern half of Spa Ponds.

  • Friday 5th May 2017 (10am – 4pm) – Introducing archaeology skills for our Heritage Management Plan – with Matt Beresford of MBArchaeology joining us from 1pm at Flint Avenue Community Centre
  • Sunday 7th May 2017 (11am – 3pm) – The Great Nottinghamshire Local History Fair 2017 at Mansfield Library. FTNCG will be running a stall at this fair to promote the SPHP project. See Our Nottinghamshire website for details of the fair
  • Friday 12th May 2017– Nottinghamshire Archive Visit with James Wright
  • Friday 19th May 2017 (10am – 11am) – Project Management Group meeting at Flint Avenue Community Centre
  • Friday 19th May 2017 (11am – 3pm) – Research (using skills from previous workshops and from the ground truthing session) at Flint Avenue Community Centre
  • Friday 2nd June 2017 (10am – 11am) – Project Management Group meeting,with Matt Beresford of MBArchaeology at Flint Avenue Community Centre.
  • Friday 2nd June 2017 (11:30 – 2:30pm) – Introduction to archaeological fieldwork workshop with Matt Beresford of MBArchaeology at Flint Avenue Community Centre
    Matt guided us through the Field Work activities planned for Spa Ponds in June and explained what we will be doing and how we will do it for each day. 
  • Saturday 10th June 2017 (10am – 1pm) – Time Travelling with Trees. A Walk and Talk around Spa Ponds led by Mark Fretwell  at Spa Ponds (meet at Clipstone Drive entrance). Discover what can trees tell us about our history and landscape during a stroll to and around previously Royal and Medieval Fish Ponds.
  • Monday 12th June 2017 (meet at 9:45 am at Spa Ponds for a 10am start) – Spa Ponds field work: Packman’s Way cross-section surveys & Deer Park recording with MBArchaeology at Spa Ponds Nature Reserve.
  • Tuesday 13th June 2017  (meet at 9:45 am at Spa Ponds for a 10am start)- Spa Ponds field work: Pond ‘0’ (‘Fern Gully’) survey with  MBArchaeology at Spa Ponds Nature Reserve. 
  • Thursday 15 June 2017 (meeting at Scarcliffe at 10:30 – talk to us to arrange car sharing) – Field Visit: Scarcliffe Park (an example of a deer park) with MBArchaeology. 
  • Saturday 17th June 2017 (10am – 3pm) – Reading the Landscape Workshop with geologist Stephen Walker at Flint Avenue Community Centre. A chance to hear about and discuss the various processes which have shaped the landscape we see at Spa Ponds. Open to all. See write-up of the Landscape Workshop.
  • Tuesday 20th June 2017 (meet at 9:45 am at Spa Ponds for a 10am start)  – Spa Ponds field work: Geophysical survey with MBArchaeology at Spa Ponds Nature Reserve.
  • Thursday 22nd June 2017 (meet at 9:45 am at Spa Ponds for a 10am start) – Spa Ponds field work: Peel and ‘scoop/pit’ recording with MBArchaeology at Spa Ponds Nature Reserve.
  • Wednesday 5th July 2017 (7pm-9pm) – FTNCG AGM, followed by a Spa Ponds Heritage Project presentation
  • Friday 7th July 2017 (10am – 3pm) – ‘Kings, Knights and Knaves of Clipstone – A Day School Exploring The Mediaeval Landscape of Sherwood’ at Flint Avenue Community Centre with author and archaeologist James Wright. Open to all.

    The day school will cover the definition of a castle, elite landscapes, medieval hunting (with reference to Sir Gawain and the Green Knight), as well as a lecture looking at the theme of revolt against authority in the 14th and 17th centuries at Clipstone (in ‘Royalty, Rebellion and Revolution in Sherwood Forest’).