A new six-session programme of 'heritage for wellbeing' workshops using archives to answer questions about Norfolk's lost country houses.

Discovering lost house histories uses case-studies of demolished country houses and their estates in Norfolk to show how archives can be used to give answers to heritage questions. Participants will investigate the buildings, the people who lived and worked in them, and consider the impact of the estates on the Norfolk landscape.

The programme incorporates the ethos of ‘Five Ways to Wellbeing’, with a range of activities that keep the workshops engaging. The six sessions are:

free

face-to-face

require no previous experience, and

are delivered in a supportive environment within a small group (max. 14)

While the workshops are being designed for beginners, the programme will also be useful for those with some experience of archival research. One of the sessions will be a site visit to a country house.

The six sessions are:

Session `1: Tuesday 8 September. Norfolk’s lost country houses – why are they interesting?

Session 2: Tuesday 15 September. Archive maps – finding out about places

Session 3: Tuesday 23 September. Non-map archives – finding out about people

Session 4: Tuesday 29 September. Site visit to a country house (Blickling Hall)

Session 5: Tuesday 6 October. The impact of lost country houses and estates – finding out about the natural environment and biodiversity

Session 6: Tuesday 13 October. Creativity and celebration session

Free. Maximum 14 participants.

Some funding is available for participants using public transport to reach the venue.

For all enquiries, please email HallMarks@norfolk.gov.uk.

Discovering Lost House Histories is part of the ‘Hall Marks: the long shadows of Norfolk’s lost country houses’ project. It is made possible by a generous grant from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, thanks to National Lottery players.

Description supplied by the event organiser.