Through the Front Door
Project update- site visits!
Using money raised by National Lottery players, The National Lottery Heritage Fund supports projects that connect people and communities with the UK’s heritage. Through the Front Door is made possible with The National Lottery Heritage Fund. Thanks to National Lottery players, we have been able to visit a series of heritage sites as we research the lives of people with learning disabilities over the past 150 years.
Somerset rural life museum
We visited the museum and explored what life was like 150 years ago when most people in the area worked on farms. We have learned that the Bath and Wells asylum, where many people with learning disabilities lived, had its own farm for growing food.
We loved the tithe barn and enjoyed singing some songs in there!
Mendip hospital cemetery visit
The wonderful volunteers who maintain the Bath and Wells asylum cemetery shared with us all their knowledge about what life was like in the asylum. They had so much to share that we have invited them in to visit our groups in June when we begin creating our show.
Taunton archives
Our inclusive researcher, Alice, has been on two site visits to Taunton to the Somerset archives.
We have taken a closer look at the asylums in Wells and Cotford St Luke and focused on daily life.
Alice is particularly interested in the fashions of the time and was given a private view of the costume department, looking at clothes from the era we are researching.
