Last week St Osyth Church of England Primary School’s year 5 pupils visited the historic Walled Garden at St Osyth Priory to witness a live archaeological dig, see medieval pottery found during a recent excavation and spot rare animal breeds that live on the 1400 year old estate.
Searching for the hidden history of the estate was the goal for the students and it was achieved thanks to St Osyth Priory being one of the largest collections of remaining ecclesiastical buildings in England.
Matthew Bynoe, Project Director at St Osyth Priory said: “It was a pleasure to welcome St Osyth Primary pupils to our site to share this exciting experience with them, they were so engaged and I was very impressed with all of their questions. I really enjoyed speaking to the pupils about the history of the site and the local area and we hope they enjoyed their visit.”
The historical site has had a large variety of archaeological findings so far varying from the medieval to post-medieval period. These findings have included roof tiles, bricks and floor tiles dating back to the 16th – 19th century, post-medieval pottery including animal bone, an oyster shell, Colchester ware and one small fragment of prehistoric pottery.
Charlotte Salmon, Year 5 and 6 teacher at St Osyth Primary School said: “It was an amazing opportunity for our pupils to see an archaeological dig in process, and to learn more about the rich history of the estate. We’d like to thank City & Country and Colchester Archaeological Trust for making this visit possible for our pupils, as it’s one I’m certain they’ll be talking about for weeks to come.”
With the site being a large part of local history, there are a number of benefits for pupils to experience such locations within their schooling time. Such as giving the children a chance to gain a wider understanding of history and artefacts as well as the importance of maintaining and protecting the local environment.