The Branscombe Project began nearly nineteen years ago. A group of people, some of whom had lived all their lives in Branscombe, others relative newcomers, decided they wanted to find out more about their village and the wider landscape.
The time-span is anywhere from prehistoric times to the present, and the idea is to explore changing landscapes, changing lives, historical materials, and living memories.
We have taped over a hundred interviews, dug in the archives and in the ground, and walked the landscape. People have lent us photographs, documents, postcards and objects.
We put on annual exhibitions, winter talks, documentary dramas and ‘disappeared houses’ walks. We have covered topics as diverse as Branscombe Ghosts, Maps, Farming, Cliff Plats, Orchards, Shops & Trades, the Churchyard, Lace Making, Smuggling, Outside Loos, Road History, School History, Hedgerow Dating, Archaeological Excavation & Field-walking, House & Family Histories, Gardens, the Blackshirts, and the wreck of the Napoli.
Our events and activities are open to all - there is no subscription and no membership list.
We want to make as much of our work available on this website as possible. It will take time. We hope you’ll enjoy what’s here and find it useful.
Saturday May 4th 2013
Branscombe Project/HEAP
A walk through time
Starting in the churchyard of St Winifred’s, we’ll walk past the disappeared Church House, the old manor house and cobbler’s cottage, the disappeared Bridge farm and medieval fish pond, then through the Old Bakery orchard to the leat and the mill, a glimpse of where the shops were up at Bank and the old allotments, and back to the village hall for cream tea, time to talk things through and to be amazed by a new set of digitized maps.
Starts at 2.30 p.m. in the churchyard.
£2 for tea, but otherwise free.