Norfolk residents of all ages and stages got a hands-on experience of archaeology with a pop-up event showcasing artefacts found along Hornsea 3 Offshore Wind Farm’s onshore cable route.
Hosted by Ørsted in partnership with experts from Oxford Archaeology, visitors had the chance to dress up in Roman and Medieval costumes, conduct their own archaeological dig and quiz archaeologists about the finds on display.
More than 225 people took part in the event, including 40 children from Reepham High School and Cawston Primary School
The archaeologists wowed their audience, with multiple children responding, ‘that’s really cool!’ to explanations about Roman amphora and prehistoric weaponry. The Ørsted team were on hand to answer questions about ongoing work in the area.
The archaeological dig took two years from 2022 to 2024. It was conducted prior to construction works on the route for the onshore cables, which will transport green electricity from the wind farm to an onshore ‘converter station’ and then to the national grid for use in our homes and businesses.
Norfolk is a rich source of history and archaeological finds, as it has been settled since the neolithic period due to its temperate climate, fertile soil and ready access to water sources for irrigation.
Imran Nawaz, Senior Advisor at Ørsted said: “We were delighted to see so many people come to investigate the history of their area. No matter the age of the visitors, they were all so interested to discover their shared past. The team from Oxford Archaeology did an amazing job in bringing their discoveries to life.”
Patrick Moan, Head of Field Work at Oxford Archaeology, who led the team for the Hornsea 3 investigation, said: “The excellent turnout to the event by the local community shows just how important local heritage is to them, and as an educational charity we were thrilled to share our initial findings from our work along the Hornsea 3 route. I and the team hope everyone found it informative and learnt something about their local history and archaeology.”