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Don't forget, for more details of our project, where you can find our walks and if you would like to feedback to us, just visit our new website: walkingintheirshoes.co.uk.

Footsteps of a Saxon - Our St Aldhelm Update

By Jack Welch, Volunteer Press Officer

After the success of completing and holding our grand launch of the trail of our World War One walk, the WITS team have now moved forward to the second phase of their exciting investigation into the life and times of Dorset's first effective Bishop, St Aldhelm. Working alongside our resident expert in this area, Pippa, there are little known facts and plenty of stories about this mysterious man. With much of the information coming second hand from figures such as William of Malmesbury, a scholar Monk from Wiltshire, and classical writer Bede, the group are currently constructing a history of what we know so far and for that to be illustrated in the computer programme, Comic Life. Keep your eyes peeled for more exciting caches coming soon!

Meanwhile, some of the group have been making their way around key locations around Dorset to learn more about the potential journeys St Aldhelm may have made across the county and to plot the location for new caches. The first of these visits included a walk around the coastal scenery of Worth Matravers and ultimately up where St Aldhelm's chapel currently resides. Meeting with the loca
l Priest in the church of Worth Matravers, Gaynor Burnett, she was particularly excited to hear of what had been learnt so far and was happy for volunteers Edward and Ashley to plot a location for the cache. Interestingly, St Aldhelm's Point was only constructed many years after his own death. Believed to have been established around the 13th century, when St Aldhelm died in 709 AD, the building has many unusual features in comparison to a typical chapel. Taking a scenic, coastal path to reach the Point, both volunteers and staff found it quite a challenge to walk around some of the steep inclines on the route and proved to be a rather exhausting trek. With an easier alternative path to the area also available, this will be indicated to the walkers when the Caches become live.

More recently, members of the group were welcomed to the abbey of Wimborne Minsiter and to learn more about the life of Cuthburga, a relative of St Aldhelm, and the first Abbess of Wimborne. With Liz and Rosie in attendance, the visitors were given an insightful talk on the background behind the
Abbey and the underlying, including the Saxon Chest, manufactured from hollowed Oak, which is said to date back to 705 AD and is believed to have great healing powers associated around it. Also present is the astronomic clock, dating back to 1320 and designed to show the days when everything was said to revolve around the Earth.  It was fascinating to learn of the origins of the Abbey belonging to Cuthburga, who spent much of her years as Abbess devoted to her cause and the strict discipline that made the Abbey successful. She died in 725 and is also buried in Wimborne.

More updates to follow...

Dorset Echo DT1 Column: Volunteers Unveil New Historical Walk

Published 27th August 2014

By Jack Welch from the Walking in their Shoes project

As the centenary commemorations of World War One unite the country in pride and sadness at those lost in the War, volunteers at Dorset Youth Association were proud to unveil a brand new historical walk.

Through the “Walking in their Shoes” project, members of the public can discover just what it was like to live as a soldier in Dorset during this difficult period as part of the Heritage Lottery-funded project.

Designed and led by young people who have given their spare time, the event at Dorchester’s Corn Exchange was a perfect example in which young people could show their enthusiasm and commitment for the heritage of their local communities.

Numerous boxes are placed across the walk through Dorchester, Moreton and Bovington, which allow treasure hunters to find boxes using GPS satellite signals or more traditional map clues to find and read the captivating stories.

Many of these tales come as result from the support we have had from The Keep Military Museum and The Tank Museum.

An app and official website for this part of the project will be available to allow people to interact with this trail.

Accompanied by the current Mayor of Dorchester, Councillor Peter Mann, and Chairman of Dorset Youth Association, Alan Knott, volunteers in soldiers’ uniforms and period dress took special guests to be the first finders of the hidden boxes around the town.

With the success of this and our showcase, the project moves into the next stage – following an Anglo-Saxon Monk.

For more details visit http://www.walkingintheirshoes.co.uk or follow us on Twitter @DorsetWitS

Local plumber saves the day!

Dean Rawlings from Dorchester Plumbing Supplies helped us to create tubes for our Geocache scrolls. We needed small sections of piping which he kindly cut up for us. He offered the pipes for free as we are a charity but we wanted to pay as we have a budget. He was so much cheaper than another local supplier. 

Edward and Ashley with the plumbing merchant.

 Back at base we spent time putting together the pieces of pipe for the scrolls. We can't show you the finished pipes as it will give the game away.

Photos: Launching our Walk

Here are a selection of photographs taken on the day of our Launch. Thank you to all that came and took a leaflet about our walk - we are already printing more by popular demand! Huge thanks to the Bovington tank Museum and Dorchester Community Plays Association & the New Hardy Players for the loan of the costumes.

Courtesy of Dorset Echo

Courtesy of Dorset Echo

Courtesy of Dorset Echo

Press Release - World War One Commemoration at Dorchester Corn Exchange, August 8th 2014

Walking in their Shoes Launches Interactive Walk in World War One Commemoration

The Corn Exchange, Dorchester

On Friday 8^th August, on the same week 100 years ago when the UK declared war on Germany in August 1914, Walking in their Shoes were proud to be part of a commemorative event in Dorchester’s historic Corn Exchange to remember the impact the Great War had on Dorset.

This event, hosted by Dorchester Town Council, and supported by organisations such as the Dorset History Centre, The Keep Military Museum and the Dorset County Museum, bought together a series of activities throughout the day, including a rendition of wartime songs, an arts and crafts table for younger visitors and a performance from the Dorchester Silver band. With volunteers dressed in costumes from this era, the Walking in their Shoes team had the privilege of the occasion to officially open their First World War trail across, located across Dorchester, Bovington and Moreton, where boxes packed with local historical facts can be found by Geocaching or a traditional map and compass. An app to download on smartphone devices and an official website will also be launched to accompany the walk. 

The walk, which had the honour of Joyce Ray, a second-generation descendent from the War where her mother worked in a local soldiers rest home, cutting the ribbon of our historical trail saw the current Mayor of Dorchester, Councillor Peter Mann, and Chairman of Dorset Youth Association, Alan Knott, discover the first boxes hidden in the town. The contents of the boxes, as well as other aspects of this project, has been entirely devised and executed by the young volunteers, aged 15-25, with the support of Project Officer, Lorna Johnson.

Ms Johnson added in a comment about the day that “I was incredibly proud of the WiTS volunteers they really added to the day and brought energy and enthusiasm and commitment to the day […] they were great ambassadors for youth heritage volunteering and all the organisations wanted to work together again.”

The Mayor of Dorchester, Councillor Peter Mann, added “An excellent day. I particularly enjoyed the Walking in their Shoes project.”

Walking in their Shoes is a Heritage Lottery Funded project, supported by Dorset Youth Association, for young people to trace back the footsteps of an Anglo-Saxon monk and a First World War soldier in the Dorset area. It is an inclusive group of volunteers aged 15-25 with diverse abilities to help convey history in an innovative and accessible approach for the public to experience.

ENDS

For more information, please contact Lorna Johnson on  01305 757027 or email lornajohnson@dorsetyouth.com.

Tank display

Our experience at the Tank Museum

Three members of our group took part in a display at Bovington Tank Museum. They also got to ride in the back of an armoured personnel carrier around the arena then take on an opposing unnamed force.