Professional Documents
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TDP Newsletter Summer 2010
TDP Newsletter Summer 2010
TDP Newsletter Summer 2010
welcome Discovery
to the TDP newsletter - Summer 2010 Programme
The Thames Discovery Programme (TDP) is a community
archaeology project supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund and SAVE THE DATE!
managed by the Thames Estuary Partnership, with support from
the Thames Explorer Trust, English Heritage, the Museum of Festival of British Archaeology
London and UCL.! The TDP
aims to communicate an 2010
understanding and informed
enjoyment of the historic
Thames to the widest
possible audience - and we
hope that you will want to get
involved!! This Summer issue
is packed with information
about the latest TDP!
activities, and the Festival of This year the Festival of British
British Archaeology in July.! Archaeology celebrates 20 years of
heritage events for everyone.!
Find out more inside about:
• Latest News Each year the Festival showcases the
very best of British archaeology, by
• Forthcoming Events
presenting hundreds of special events
• Riverpedia organised and held by museums, local
• FROG Photography societies, national and countryside parks,
Project MOLA Geomantics at work universities, and heritage organisations
• TDP T-shirts across the UK. The Festival presents
" " everyone the opportunity to learn about
If you have any questions, or would like to find out more about their local heritage, to see archaeology in
the Thames Discovery Programme, please get in touch: action, and to get involved.
enquiries@thamesdiscovery.org
0207 679 0540 Events ranging from excavation open days
and behind-the-scenes tours to family fun
We hope to see you on the foreshore soon! days, hands-on activities, guided walks,
talks and finds identification workshops
take place all over the UK during this
Lorna Richardson
special fortnight.
Archaeology Outreach Officer
The 2010 FoBA runs from 17th July -
1st August, and there are a huge
number of archaeological activities in
the Greater London area suitable for
everyone. ! You can find out more on
the FoBA website:
http://festival.britarch.ac.uk/
The FROG helps the TDP to monitor each of the 20 archaeological sites that the project is recording on the Thames foreshore. This
monitoring work will carry on during the lifetime of the Thames Discovery Programme and beyond. The FROG work with the TDP
staff during the Summer Season of fieldwork, organise trips and events on the foreshore, and have access to exclusive FROG
workshops and activities.
Photo by Nathalie Cohen
We have very strict Health and Safety requirements, and all FROG group members are covered by Thames Discovery Programme
insurance and foreshore permits during their FROG visits – this will not be the case if you “go it alone”.
We don#t have any training dates confirmed at present. However, if you would like to register your interest in future FROG training
events during 2010 – 2011, please email enquiries@thamesdiscovery.org or call 0207 679 0540, to request an application form.
We hold a number of foreshore walks, archaeology discovery days, object handling sessions and seminars with guest speakers
throughout the year, alongside activities at other museums and venues in Greater London. Other organisations in the London area
also have Thames-related events, and we try and advertise as many of these on our website as we can. The Creekside Centre and
the Thames Explorer Trust organise a regular programme of river walks with an archaeological theme. You can find out what#s on in
the London area by keeping a close eye on the events page of our website, which is updated weekly (www.thamesdiscovery.org).
Everyone is welcome to our public events, most events are free of charge, and no previous knowledge of archaeology or history is
required!
The Thames Discovery Programme is supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund
and managed by the Thames Estuary Partnership with support from the Thames Explorer Trust
Thames
welcome Discovery
to the TDP newsletter - Summer 2010 Programme
FROG Fieldwork Summer Season 2010
For those of you that are FROG-trained, don#t forget that you can join in with this year#s fieldwork as we expand our key
sites and consolidate what we already know. ALL FROG members welcome to ALL sites!! You can do as many or as few
days as you can manage, from a single day to the whole summer…
These sessions are only open to FROG members who have completed both Days 1 and 2 of their FROG training. If
you would like to book any of these dates, please email Eliott Wragg, the TDP Field Officer
(e.wragg@thamesdiscovery.org) or call Eliott on 07917 758 818.
If you need to complete your Day 2 training to become a certified FROG, there are opportunities for you to do so on the
following dates: 14th & 15th August at Greenwich, 28th & 29th August at Strand-on-the-Green/Kew and the 25th & 26th
September at Rotherhithe. Please contact Eliott for further information.
September: Woolwich
Thursday 9th " 0730-1130 Photos by
Friday 10th " " 0800-1200
Late September: Rotherhithe Nathalie Cohen
Saturday 11th " 0845-1245
Sunday 12th "" 0930-1330 Saturday 25th " 0800-1200
Sunday 26th "" 0830-1230
Monday 13th " 1000-1400 Monday 27th " 0900-1300
Tuesday 14th " 1015-1415 Tuesday 28th " 0930-1330
Wednesday 29th " 0945-1345
Museum Visit
Bookings
Thames at War Workshop May 2010 - These events are funded by Hampton
Fuel Allotment Charity, London Borough of
Nathalie Cohen
Richmond, Capital Radio#s Help a London
Child & BAA Heathrow Community &
Environment Awards.
Maritime Communities
The SS Great Eastern, the world's first modern ocean liner, was built in Millwall from 1854-7. It was designed by
Isambard Kingdom Brunel. It was the largest such vessel in the world when launched in January1858, being 211m
long, with a beam of 25m, and a gross tonnage of 18,915. Its hull was made of iron, and it was powered by two
massive paddle wheels propelled by coal-fired steam engines. In addition, it had six masts (named Monday-
Saturday) for auxillary sail. It was designed to carry up to 4,000 passengers and sufficient coal to take the ship as far
as Australia without refuelling.! Although financial problems and a series of unfortunate accidents mar the later history
of this great ship, she nevertheless made several fast transatlantic crossings and also laid a telegraph cable right
across the Atlantic seabed in 1865, a major achievement that pioneered a new era of! electronic communications.
Ship-Shaped Park
We propose that a ship-shaped public open-space be laid out some 200m long and 25m wide on the actual
construction site of the 'Great Eastern'. On the landward (port) side of this 'ship-park' visitors will be able to see the!
remains of one of the timber-built slipways upon which the vessel sat during its construction and launch. Down on the
foreshore beyond the modern river wall that marks the proposed starboard side of the 'ship-park', are further remains of
the launch slips, although these can only be seen at low tide. These
features were recorded by the Thames Discovery Programme team
in 2010.
The proposed 'Ship-Park' site already sits over a public open
space, currently called 'Maritime Quay', and thus would only require
landscaping (rather than demolition!) to achieve the required 'ship-
shape'. The outline of the top deck will be marked out, from bow to
stern. Representations of the five funnels (perhaps using trees?)
and six masts will then be set up along the centre line of the 'ship-
park', with information boards and seating reflecting the deck layout
of the great passenger liner.
The upper half of the two circular paddle-wheel housings will also
be erected 2m above the river wall. The arched upper section of the
port paddle-wheel housing will incorporate a life-sized image of the
vessel's designer, standing next to the Great Eastern's chainwork.
The river wall itself would be treated to enhance the profile of the
'Ship-Park', by defining the line of the bow and the stern, as well
incorporating the large 17m diameter starboard paddle-wheel.
In this way, both the great ship and the great engineer will be commemorated. The profile of the re-created ship, with its
masts, funnels and paddle-wheels, will be distinctive enough to be seen from across the river as the original hull was
during its construction in the 1850s. Our proposed new 'Ship-Park' will be a Monument to Millwall, as well as a new
Landmark for London.
A group is being set up to help facilitate the planning and fund-raising for this project, in close collaboration with the
Brunel Museum, Railway Avenue, Rotherhithe. For further information please contact:
Robert Hulse
Museum Director
The Brunel Museum, Railway Avenue, Rotherhithe
London! SE16 4LF
Robert.Hulse@brunel-museum.org.uk 020 7231 3840
24th August @ location tbc Peter is a practising urban and arts photographer
and is also a town planner. His photography
celebrates all that makes up the urban
11th September @ location tbc environment. Between planning jobs he works in the
museum and community projects sector, focussing
Photoshop workshops will be held in July & August on creative photography, workshops, walks
(dates to be confirmed) and imagery input into learning programmes. He is
now supporting the TDP by providing a series of
unique FROG photography walks and workshops
If you are interested, please get in touch with suitable for all levels of photographic experience.
Peter: pdk@fotog.info
The Thames Discovery Programme is supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund
and managed by the Thames Estuary Partnership with support from the Thames Explorer Trust
Thames
welcome Discovery
to the TDP newsletter - Summer 2010 Programme
G e t Yo u r T h a m e s
Discovery Programme
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