Wherever you live, there’s treasure to be discovered!
Not just gold and gems, but stories of buildings, locations and people.
Our heritage is a great wealth… and it’s all around us.
Sometimes standing proud in the open air, sometimes hidden behind some bushes.
And to help find it, we’re looking for Heritage Heroes – could you be one?
HERITAGE HEROES. AN INSPIRING AUDIO PRODUCTION FOR FUN KIDS. MADE POSSIBLE WITH THE NATIONAL LOTTERY HERITAGE FUND, WITH THANKS TO NATIONAL LOTTERY PLAYERS.
What is local heritage?
Do you know how your town or the road you live on got its name?
Or why people originally settled where you live?
Or wondered what IS that wonky old building in the park?!
Heritage is everywhere and Heritage Heroes know where to look and find it.
Learning about our local heritage is important because it helps us connect to our past, and it can be as simple as going for a walk!
By looking for clues, we can find out more about the history of these areas and our own heritage too.
Heritage includes all sorts of things – from landscapes and fields to old buildings and bridges, people and monuments to streets and traditional events.
It also includes things that have existed for hundreds of years and artefacts that have been passed down from generation to generation.
Why don’t you have a go at drawing a map of all the heritage sites in your local area?
Go on a walk around your neighbourhood. Take photographs or write down everything you see!
When you get home see if you can answer these questions:
- Did you find this place on a map?
- Can you describe how you got to this place from your house using a map?
- Can you describe directions e.g. North, South, East and West?
Now, have a go at drawing your own map of the place you visited today – you can ask an adult to help with the writing.
Use your photos to remind you of the things you saw.
You can use symbols, street names and different colours to mark out different parts of your local area.
Making your heritage personal
Another way of thinking about heritage is to bring it back to your own family.
You might know a bit about your family history…
Maybe your granny or grandad worked in a famous factory or fought in a war.
Maybe you have a toy that used to belong to your mum or dad.
These stories and objects are what shapes our families and the way we are today.
Taking care of our heritage
Just as we take care of important things that belong to our family, we should also take care of the heritage of our community.
By preserving buildings, traditions and artifacts, and also recording local stories and memories, we can help ensure that future generations can learn from them and appreciate their value as well.
Finding out more about our heritage
As there’s so much heritage out there – and adults aren’t always the best ones to do it, we need Heritage Heroes to explore the places where you live.
Listen and you’ll discover tools and clues on how to explore and record different types of heritage…
From writing things down or recording some audio, to making a sketch or taking a photograph.
The great thing about finding out about the heritage of where we live is that it’s easy – whilst the internet and your local library are great help, sometimes it’s as simple as going for a walk!
Here are some helpful links that will help you become a Heritage Hero!
Town maps: www.townmaps.history.ac.uk
Mass observation surveys: www.massobs.org.uk
Archive film: www.bfi.org.uk/archive-collections
Look at old news: www.britishnewspaperarchives.co.uk
Find out more about churches in your area: www.churches-uk-ireland.org
Look up census information: www.familysearch.org/wiki
Search the doomsday book: www.domesdaybook.co.uk
See how population changed over Victorian/Edwardian era: www.populationspast.org
MOBILE: Heritage Heroes
Discover your local heritage and become a Heritage Hero!
