Festival Of Archaeology 2023

Medieval Mayhem – Streetlife Museum Saturday 29th July & Sunday 30th July, 11am -4pm

Enjoy a weekend of medieval merriment and mayhem for all the family, as the Museums Quarter is transformed into a medieval encampment.
Come face-to-face with knights in armour, a unit of archers, medieval residents, craftspeople and musicians.

Join in with life in the past and find out whether you’d have made a brilliant knight, a first-class archer, or a master potter.

The weekend will include…

• Combat displays from knights in armour
• Wandering medieval characters
• Musical performances
• Medieval pottery demonstrations
• ‘Have a go’ archery*
• Craft and pottery activities
• Cookery displays and lots more!

*There will be a small £2 charge for the have a go archery

Telling Tales Of Tudor Hull, South Blockhouse, Tower Street, Saturday 29th & Sunday 30th July, 10.30am – 3pm

Nearly 500 years ago Hull was so important that King Henry VIII visited the place twice and commanded that new defences be built on the east bank of the River Hull.

At the King’s expense Hull Castle, two Blockhouses and a long defensive wall were built in the short time of two years.

Around 150 years ago the tales behind these Tudor defences began to fade away. Since 2017 the people of Hull have started to uncover these stories again and now it is your time to get involved.

For one weekend at the end of July, people from across the city will meet at the site of South Blockhouse to get creative and help tell the amazing story of Tudor – and later – Hull. At this event you will be able to:

Talk to archaeologists to learn about the stories behind the South Blockhouse.
Handle real artefacts from the site.
Find out more about Hull’s maritime past.
Find out what it was like to navigate the Humber Estuary during Tudor times.
Make your own model sailing boat and test its seaworthiness in the drainpipe channel challenge.
Set forth into the past by playing the time travel role playing game Timefort 1555.
Have a taste of Tudor food.
Make your own Scrap Store inspired Tudor clothing.
Write a postcard story and tell your Tudor Tale.

Back To Life Festival – Hull Minster & Trinity Square, Saturday 29th July, 10am -3pm

Travel back in time as actors portray the people of our monuments, telling their amazing and quirky stories throughout the day. With stories for all ages, there will be something to learn for all the family! Say hello to John Alderson and Agnes Bedford and Frank Appleyard through poetry, plays, stories and song, all performed as you wander around!

We’re recreating the scene of a medieval chapel where you can experience what it would have been like in 1458 when Agnes Bedford was laid to rest. We’ll explore the story of her life, death and later discovery in the 1800’s and the search to find her identity in 2020.

You’ll be able to see some of the archaeology from Castle Street Burial Ground which link Appleyard and Alderson and find out what city life was like for them when they were alive in the 1800’s.

Grave robbing was rife with bodies used for medical research. With thanks to the Thackrey Museum, we provide a glimpse of medical practice throughout history. John Alderson, a pioneer in medical innovation was crucial to improving the health conditions within Hull. As a tribute to him, we are providing a chance to see some of the major medical advances and history from the last 400 years.