Share your memories of historic Radcliffe

Residents are being asked to share their memories and photographs to help bring the historic Radcliffe Tower back to life.

Contributions are sought to embellish and explain the results of the recent Big Dig, funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund and carried out by the council, local people and Salford University.

The main dig was completed before Christmas, and an exhibition giving an update on the project is now on display in Radcliffe Library.

Perhaps the most striking findings of the Big Dig were:

•   How much of the cobbled 18th Century farm courtyard survives

•   The foundations of the worker’s cottages on Tower Street.

•  Two stone foundations along with pottery and tile fragments, possibly from the medieval hall.

Chris Wilkinson, project manager at the council, said: “With the archaeological investigation complete, it is now time to decide how to present and interpret the site. We need to firm up proposals on what landscaping to carry out, how information on the site should be presented and who to aim it at.

“Do you have any old photographs or recollections of the hall site or church that you could share with us? Do you, or did you, know anybody that lived on Church Row, the old cottages on Tower Street, or who worked at Tower Farm? Do you have views on how the site should be improved? Have you seen any good examples of the presentation of historical sites that you think could be applied at Radcliffe Hall and Tower? Would you like to get involved in research or interpretation? If so, please leave items or information with library staff, or email them to Planning.Projects@bury.gov.uk

“We’ll have a full report from the Big Dig in a few weeks, but in the meantime we thought Radcliffe residents would like an update, hence the exhibition in Radcliffe Library. There’s also more information on the project website at http://publish.mynewsdesk.com/uk/edit/www.radcliffeheritage.co.uk”

ENDS

Press release issued: 28 January 2014.