Digging has to be a favourite pastime for most children, but imagine that you can actually encourage your young ones to dig knowing that you won’t need to reach for the washing powder at the end of the exercise, and they will have learned some fascinating facts along the way. It might sound too good to be true, but that is exactly what happens at DIG: An Archaeological Adventure!
Created by the team behind JORVIK Viking Centre, DIG encourages hardy young archaeologists to explore their very own excavation pits – no matter what the weather outside. Grab a trowel (parents are welcome to try the digging, too!) and see what artefacts you can find buried in the clean ‘soil’, and then find out from our expert guides what they tell us about York’s colourful past!
If you think you are too old for digging (is anyone ever too old?), or fancy a visit without children, the last tour of the day at DIG is designed specifically for an adult audience. On our DIG Deeper tours, our expert team can go into far more depth about key discoveries made in York and their impact on our understanding of the city’s residents for over 2000 years.
Plus, new for Autumn/Winter 2021 is a new exhibition at DIG. Archaeology Through The Lens (from 23 October), delves into York Archaeological Trust’s photographic archives and camera store cupboard to reveal images and equipment used to record the city’s history. A visit to the exhibition is included with your DIG ticket, or you can visit just the exhibition.
Visit digyork.com to book your visit today!
Autumn is the season when the world embraces magic, ghosts and other things that go bump in the night, and Barley Hall – the beautiful medieval town house hidden between Stonegate and Grape Lane – is no exception, as our Magic And Mystery exhibition comes into its own!
On the first floor of the house, our galleries invite you to explore the often fine line between science, religion and magic in medieval society. Find out about the role of magic in the everyday lives of people living in the Middle Ages. Join us to investigate the individuals pronounced in written records as witches and wizards; the ‘science’ of magic, alchemy and experimentation; protective charms and forecasting the future through prophecies and dreams.
Using both archaeological and documentary evidence from the period, Magic and Mystery showcases a thought-provoking and often misinterpreted feature of medieval culture.
Even getting to Barley Hall is part of the adventure – just a few steps away from one of York’s most famous streets and yet hidden from view in Coffee Yard. If you are walking down Stonegate and come across the large sign for Ye Olde Starre Inn, you’re just a few paces away! Follow the cream colour sign on the wall to find us.
For more details or to book tickets, visit barleyhall.co.uk
