Washburn Heritage Centre

On the afternoon of 16 August thirty Society members and friends gathered at the Washburn Heritage Centre, set above Swinsty reservoir and adjacent to Fewston church. We were met by Sally, our guide for the afternoon, who invited us to look around the churchyard before heading into the centre. After a cup of tea we were given a quick resumé of the background to the centre, which came about as the result of a plan to put a small extension onto the church. Sally then explained how the excavation to build the Heritage Centre had involved the discovery of some fascinating history. It had been anticipated some human remains would be found, but no-one expected to find 154 sets, now known as the Fewston Assemblage. Teams from Durham and York universities carried out extensive research and have been able to identify around 20 of the people buried there, as well as discover much information about the lives of people in the valley, many of them children, assumed to have been employed in the local mills and farms. Experts have even been able to create facial reconstructions of two local people – both on display in the foyer. The afternoon was fiinished off with more tea and an amazing selection of home made cakes and scones all made and served by the volunteers there. If you have not been to the Heritage Centre it really is worth a visit. The centre is run completely by volunteers and is open Saturdays and Sundays until the end of October, Sundays only from November to March. There is much more information on the website www.washburnvalley.org.