Time Team’s Professor Carenza Lewis will open a newly refurbished Medieval Gallery at the Hull and East Riding Museum this weekend.
The gallery will be unveiled for the first time as part of the finale of this year’s Festival of Archaeology on Sunday 1 August.
The Medieval Gallery, on the first-floor of the museum, includes nationally-important objects found in Hull and the East Riding. The new displays, funded through Arts Council England, allow them to be shown to advantage. New lighting, interpretation and interactive elements bring the stories to life.
Part of the refurbishment includes new lighting.
Films, with audio description and subtitles, show craftspeople recreating medieval techniques of wood-working, leather-working and spinning. Each area also has a character – from a 12th century carpenter working on a timber hall at Beverley, to a merchant’s wife living on Hull’s High Street in the 14th century.
Some of these characters will be brought to life on Sunday, and people will be able to see them going about their daily lives in and around the High Street and the Old Town.
Councillor Marjorie Brabazon, chair of Hull Culture and Leisure, said: “The finale of the Festival of Archaeology is the perfect opportunity to open our new Medieval Gallery.
“We’ve made the gallery even more interactive and included new exhibits for visitors, so I can’t wait for people to see it.”
As well as the reinterpretation, the opportunity was taken to conserve the nationally-important collection of leatherwork from Hull’s Old Town. This was carried out by York Archaeological Trust and has significantly added to its long-term preservation.
While half of the gallery concentrates on the crafts and industry which led to the rise of Beverley in the 12th century, the latter part follows the history of Hull from its early days to the 15th century, when it was one of the most important ports in the country.
There are lots of events this weekend celebrating archaeology.
The new Medieval Gallery will be open to the public from 1.30pm on Sunday 1 August.
The annual Festival of Archaeology, which takes place in locations all over the country, finishes in Hull this weekend.
The Hull finale takes place this Sunday, 1 August, and will include a programme full of events and activities in three locations at the Museums Quarter Gardens, Trinity Square and Beverley Gate.
Find out more about the Festival of Archaeology here.
Find out more about Hull Museums here.
