The exciting project named - The Iron Age Farming and Fashion Project - is taking place in Edinburgh and led by a local charity, The School of Ancient Crafts. Who has been given £10,000, to bring ancient seeds to life in playgrounds across the city, giving local children a chance to experience the farming skills of the Iron Age.

Sharing Heritage is a new funding programme to help people across the UK explore, conserve and share all aspects of the history and character of their local area.

The School of Ancient Crafts works with young people in Edinburgh teaching them the skills and crafts of the past. Through this practical approach to history, pupils learn about the day to day lives of our ancestors, and they also make wonderful replica objects to take home. This exciting Iron Age Farming Project is a chance for pupils to learn more about their local area 2000 years ago. Food production was an essential part of life then, as it is now, and pupils will be making bread and porridge from the seeds they harvest. They will also be growing dye plants such as Woad, and having a go at dyeing sheep’s wool. Thanks to the Seed Bank that is being developed in this project, other schools and community groups will be able to join in the project in the future.

Commenting on the award, School of Ancient Craft Trustee, Melissa Viguier, said: “We are so delighted to have been awarded this grant, this project was inspired by the Iron Age remains in Holyrood Park, and I hope everyone involved in the project will enjoy learning how to make bread, porridge and dyes the Iron Age Way.

Colin Mclean, Head of the Heritage Lottery Fund Scotland, said: “Sharing Heritage is a wonderful opportunity for communities to delve into their local heritage and we are delighted to be able to offer this grant so that The Iron Age Farming Project can embark on a real journey of discovery. Heritage means such different things to different people, and HLF’s funding offers a wealth of opportunities for groups to explore and celebrate what’s important to them in their area.

Notes to editors

The School of Ancient Crafts is an Edinburgh based charity that specialises in Living History Workshops for school and community groups. Our aim is to teach people about history, by actually learning the skills and crafts of the past. Each practical workshop focuses on a specific period of time, Romans, Iron Age, Viking or Jacobite. During the workshop pupils handle replica objects, dress up in costumes of the time, and use replica tools, to make a realistic replica object, eg a Roman wax tablet, which they can they take home and use.

Sharing Heritage is for any not-for-profit group wanting to explore their community’s heritage. With a commitment from HLF of £3m each year, Sharing Heritage grants between £3,000 and £10,000 are now available to groups who want to discover their local heritage. Projects can cover a wide spectrum of subject matter from exploring local archaeology and a community’s cultures and traditions to identifying and recording local wildlife and protecting the surrounding environment to managing and training volunteers, and holding festivals and events to commemorate the past. For more information go to the programme page.

Further information

Melissa Viguier, Trustee at The School of Ancient Crafts on 07908 592 955 or info@schoolofancientcrafts.org.uk

School of Ancient Crafts website