Ackworth Hoard - a preview (we hope!)

A small selection of the treasures of the Ackworth Hoard can now be seen at Pontefract Museum until the end of February. 

The display includes some of the most important pieces such as the gold ring and the exotic foreign ducatons from the Spanish Netherlands. In all 43 gold and silver coins and the gold ring are on display along with the pot in which they were buried. The whole hoard has 592 gold and silver coins.

A selection of the Ackworth Hoard is now on temporary display at Pontefract Museum

The gold ring is inscribed 'When you see this, remember me'

A special drop-in family workshop will take place at Pontefract Museum on Thursday 21st February (during Half Term).  Aimed at families with children aged 2-12, try out your origami, craft and poetry skills to create a ring to rival the Ackworth Hoard ring!  No need to book, drop in between 11am and 2.30pm

The earliest dated coin - Edward VI (King from 1547 to 1553)

Charles I halfcrowns

Ducatons

Irish and Scottish coins

Pot with shillings and sixpences

Wakefield Council is trying to save the hoard by raising £54,492 to acquire it for Pontefract Museum. So far the campaign has gone very well and we are getting pretty close having raised just under £40,000. We are still awaiting the results of an application to the Heritage Lottery Fund for another £12,000 towards the acquisition, but we need another £3,000 in local funds.

You can help by sending a donation to:
The Ackworth Hoard
Pontefract Museum
Salter Row
Pontefract WF8 1BA
Please make cheques payable to ‘Wakefield Council – Ackworth Hoard’

See here for more information.

Communities in Time - at Wakefield Museum

We are pleased that Wakefield Museum will again be taking part in the bi-monthly Artwalk.  We have some fantastic artists and activities planned for 2013, the first of which is taking place on Wednesday January 30th.  This month Wakefield Museum is hosting Faceless  who are celebrating the end of their Communities in Time project.  

Communities in Time has explored the different histories of communities across the Wakefield district and has been funded by the Council's Creative Partners Grant Scheme. Faceless have worked with people of all ages - from Eastmoor, Knottingley, Ferry Fryston, Airedale and Ferrybridge  - to create large scale, collaborative art works which help to tell the story of their community.  These artworks will be on display in our Special Exhibition Gallery for Artwalkers to enjoy and find out more about this fantastic project.

Create Café will once again being open for dinner with a special meal deal available for Artwalkers to enjoy, beware though – you’ll have to share your meal with some woolly friends as Create will be displaying the life-size Flock to Ossett sheep. 

Flock to Ossett - brightly coloured sheep will be invading the cafe!

Flock to Ossett was a community led arts project culminating in a summer festival in Ossett Town Centre on June 30th 2012.   The project, supported  by the Art Council, involved schools, musicians, artists and knitting clubs across the town all working towards a one day celebration parade to encourage people to “Flock to Ossett”.  Many local schools and groups made large papier-mâché sheep for the parade to celebrate the towns heritage and links to the wool trade.  For one night only, several of these sheep have made their way to Create Café, Wakefield One for the January Wakefield Artwalk. 

Wakefield Artwalk is at venues across Wakefield  including Wakefield Museum on Wednesday 30th January 5pm – 9pm (Wakefield Museum 5pm – 8pm)

New Year, new Blog pages!

Happy New Year to all our readers!  

2012 was a very busy year for Wakefield Museum, and 2013 promises to keep up the pace!

Developments of the new Wakefield Museum continue, as we now also focus on developing a new museum space at The Forum, Castleford, not forgetting the changing temporary exhibition programme at Pontefract Museum and the campaign to save the Ackworth Hoard to display there.

From now on, this Blog will keep you updated on museum activities across our venues, as well as museum outreach in the community and behind-the-scenes peeks into the museum store.

If you've not already signed up to email updates on this Blog - why not treat yourself for New Year?!

Merry Christmas!

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas from the Museum Team!

Wakefield Museum is open from 9.30 to 5pm

24th, 27th and 31st December.

Hobson's sweet shop on Little Westgate. The window is full of crackers, stockings and other Christmas novelties. 1920

Earthenware mixing bowl, made by Clokie and Co. The bowl was used by the Clokie family to make the Christmas pudding from about 1908 to 1950. It is chipped and cracked from much use.



All of these images, and lots more, are available through our online collections resource.

A tasty exhibition

Work is currently taking place designing the next temporary exhibition at Wakefield Museum.  Due to open in March 2013 this tasty exhibition will look at food for all seasons.  Part of the exhibition will look at what was stored in the larder at Sandal Castle in 1322! This included 21 bacons and a whole load of herrings! We are spending time searching for wooden barrels and fake bacon…

We are also looking into displaying a jug found in the moat at the Sandal Castle, possibly flung in there following a riotous evening of entertainment…imagine having a giant knees up at Sandal Castle…cheers!

A medieval jug found  in the excavations of the moat at Sandal Castle

This exhibition is part of an exciting project working with the University of Leeds and The University of Bradford, funded by the Wellcome Trust. 

For more details of You Are What You Ate, see the project website.

 

A Week of Time Travelling

The learning and skills team have been time-travelling this week.  From creating Tudor medicines to planning a 'dig for victory' garden pupils from around the district have been learning about the past with hands-on activities and meeting characters from the past. 

Pupils from Wrenthorpe and Horbury held 1940s mornings - starting with a cold, brisk walk to school as evacuees they met with 1940s housewife Dorothy Rainey to handle original wartime objects to support their learning. 

Pupils from Flanshaw met with Ann Dixon, resident of 126 Nelson Street during the 1800s, to handle Victorian objects and discuss the life of Victorian children.

A Tudor afternoon took place at Featherstone All Saints, with each Key Stage 2 class participating in an exciting role play session which saw them assisting Mistress Grace in the preparation of tooth polish, headache remedies and herbs for warding off plague! 

It's enough to confuse anyone!

Learning Officer, Louise Bragan as Victorian Housewife, Ann Dixon

More Crafty Crocs fun!

The second monthly session of Crafty Crocs took place at Wakefield Museum and Learning Zone yesterday.

Children aged 2-5 years (along with their grown-ups) took part in specially prepared festive crafts and looked at the museum collections.  Activities included using the museum for an i-spy trail before turning their list of objects into an advent calendar inspired craft.  They also used triangles to create Christmas trees with tissue paper baubles, and got messy hand printing antlers onto reindeer!

i-spy trail around the museum

'Advent calendar' of museum objects

Hand prints make perfect antlers!

The finished reindeer!

Sessions for the New Year are now being advertised, booking is essential as places are limited. 

Contact 01924 302700 or email to book your place for:

 February 5th, March 5th, May 7th, June 4th and July 2nd 2013