Bridgwater & District Civic Society Summer Projects 2009

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Registered Charity No. 265031

Summer Projects 2009

The Civic Society has several projects continuing from 2008 for summer 2009 and into early autumn.

We are hoping that a few student volunteers home for the summer vacation or waiting to go up to university 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 summer job at Asda, Sainsbury's, Morrisons or whatever.

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 - completion of the new Town Trail booklet

thanks to sponsorship by the Town Council and the enthusiasm of Bridgwater College & other students, past & present, work has progressed well since last year. Top-and-tailing, Trialling, proof-reading and publishing is all that needs to be done.

The latest version can be seen here (pdfs).

Useful skills to have:

photographic
historical
literary
graphic
webpage authoring

Project two - 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.

Note: A field trip to examine the ancient walls in Bridgwater with the Bridgwater & District Archaeological Society takes place on Saturday, 20 June, starting at Blake Museum, 1 45. All welcome.

Project three - re-colonisation of the Durleigh Brook

The Durleigh Brook is an ancient watercourse which runs through the southern margin of the town. Urban waterways are increasingly recognised as vital to the quality of the urban environment.
For many years, the water flow in this important Brook has been erratic. During 2007, there wad virtually no flow at all. The late Dr Pat Hill-Cottingham, local ecologist, & I made a simple study of the ecological impact at that time. At several locations, typical fauna was absent, and eutrophication had set in.
The water had been leaking into the canal at a culverted siphon at the end of Friarn Avenue, near the YMCA. British Waterways have spent circa £¼M in repairs to the siphon.
The Heritage Regeneration partnership is funding development work in conjunction with a new elevated walkway between St Mary Street & Blake Street, which will require further study of the ecology as well as liaison with a local architectural practice. The Town Council, in conjunction with the Blake Museum, is working up schemes for the refurbishment of the ancient Town Mill in Blake Street which stands over the Durleigh Brook.

There are opportunities here for volunteers in several areas: biology, architecture, engineering, physics, geography and literary, communication & media.

Water now flows again in the Brook.

Project four - 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 five - 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
15 June 2009

Web page updated 15 June 2009