Bridgwater & District Civic Society Summer Projects 2012

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Registered Charity No. 265031

Projects 2012

The Civic Society has several projects for 2012.

We are hoping that a few student volunteers may like to join in.

Arrangements are very flexible. Students who've helped in the past, and still do, have found it easy to combine an hour or two of volunteering with their job at Asda, Sainsbury's, Morrisons or whatever if they are lucky enough to have one.

You'll have the opportunity to become involved in the local community, to meet knowledgeable people, and to practise some skills in good company.

We work closely with the Bridgwater Town Council and with the Blake Museum, so you'll be able to meet lots of other volunteers. We have good contacts other local societies and organisations, such as the Archaeological Society, the Bridgwater Regeneration Partnership the Somerset Natural History & Archaeological Society (SANHS), the Somerset Archives Office and the Local Studies Library, Somerset County Archaeologists and other professional archaeologists, and the Environment Agency.

What you can contribute

enthusiasm
ideas
a bit of free time - largely to suit you; much can be done from home

What benefits you might get out of volunteering

experience
knowledge
satisfaction
learning to observe the detail
good stuff for your curriculum vitae (cv)
tea, coffee, biscuits and sometimes a bit more
legitimate/authorised expenses refunded

Lots of what we do can be shared electronically by email or posting to shared webspace. But we'll need to meet from time-to-time, generally at 32 Friarn Street (opposite the Royal Mail Delivery Office).

Project one - recording the street ironworks "made in Bridgwater"


Maker: Bale, Bridgwater. Cover in Silver Street.	Where was Murch's foundry? Who were his partners? Base of church gates south.	Was Stockham the maker as well as the contractor? Cover near the Vestry of St Mary's church

Bridgwater once had several iron foundries. These are all lost, but a few of their products remain scattered through the town. Several of these are constantly under threat through incautious renewals as part of streetworks. This project will be to photograph, measure & record the remaining examples. Images will be mounted on a website, so there's good opportunities here to develop web authoring skills.
The project could be extended to include door furniture, especially from the Georgian parts of Bridgwater (e.g. Castle Street)

Project two - Lost Bridgwater

There's all sorts of bits of Bridgwater that have been lost.

You can select one, research it thoroughly, and add a webpage to http://www.bridgwaterheritage.org.uk/lostbridgwater.

If you select, say, Houses and Courts in West Street, then you can make use of the extensive photolibrary in the Museum. If you choose something a bit older (before the days of photography), then you can practise your artistic skills.

Project three - archaeological investigation of mediaeval walls in Bridgwater

There's all sorts of old walls in Bridgwater, but very little archaeological study has been made. Have a look at a few notes here.


A wall at 12 St Mary Street, north side, now obscured, probably 14-15thC.	A section of same wall showing small bones within a red mortar.

The project will aim to record some of these walls in more detail. Where possible, we'll do some analysis of mortar types. This could be taken to third/fourth year undergraduate level .... so if you're looking for a ready-made topic for a dissertation, here it is. We might even be able to submit a paper for publication.

You'll probably need a bit of scientific background if this one is to appeal. An interest in archaeology and buildings would be good to have too.

Project four - documentary research

Bridgwater has a rich & well-preserved accessible documentary history dating from 1200. Many of the primary sources have yet to be studied and put into context. They contain many important details about properties, urban development and change, and social history. Here is an example from 1836. There's many more like it.

For further details, please contact by email
or telephone 01278 444337 (leave a message if out), or call at 32 Friarn Street (opposite the Royal Mail Delivery office).

Thank you. Dr Peter Cattermole, Vice-Chairman

Web page updated 16 January 2012