Recent Events

A record-setting exhibition at the Norfolk Record Office in Norwich was a highlight of the
Paston Heritage Society’s year, said PHS chair Dr Rob Knee at the annual
meeting at the Ship Inn, Mundesley, on Friday April 25.

The PHS worked with the NRO to put on the
exhibition, which was part of an All Our Stories
project, linked to a BBC series, for which the society received a £10,000
Heritage Lottery grant. The PHS also put on an event at Dragon Hall in Norwich,
undertook work in schools and is putting together a research website and a DVD. 

Dr Knee paid tribute to founder Lucy
Care for her “hard work in to PHS getting us to where we are now”. This year the
society celebrates its 21st anniversary.

Peter Stibbons showed slides and videos of
activities undertaken in the past year, including digital reconstruction of the
structure and positioning of Paston Hall.

The first big Paston exhibition for 60 years was launched at the Norfolk Record Office on Monday, October 21. The Pastons and the Pursuit of Power, which runs for three months, was opened by our patron, Sir Henry Paston-Bedingfeld, after an introduction from Mrs Hilary Cox, the chairman of Norfolk County Council. The two are seen chatting below.

A gathering of all the local groups involved in the All our Stories project met at Ickworth House last November. Paston Heritage Society chair Dr Rob Knee was one of those making a presentation, together with fellow trustee Peter Stibbons. Part of this presentation can be seen by clicking this link:   
Download

The films consist of  long and shorter films which sum up the day.

The Paston presentation is the second from the left in the middle row.

We were involved in a warm and sunny heritage day at Blofield Church, just east of Norwich, on Saturday, 10 September, 2012. This is a large church which gave plenty of room for re-enactors, displays and workshops – and there was great enthusiasm locally, making the day an outstanding success, especially for the teddy bears who were given balloon rides – not a big feature of the Paston Letters, but one feels sure the Pastons would have approved. 

On Sunday 24th July we held a 'Walks and talks' day at St Margaret's Church, Paston.

There were two walks: the first was an amble around the site with one of our expert guides, talking about the Paston family and Paston village. The second was a seven-mile round trip to Bromholm Priory. Nine people and a dog started out with Tim Lenton, and most of them finished the course, which had to be diverted inland because of a high tide with a stiff onshore wind. The walk took in Paston Green, Edingthorpe Church and – "a real treat" – Bromholm Priory, where the owners had given permission for us to get 'up close' to the ruins. A new and memorable experience for all of us on the walk.

Our usual delicious refreshments were on offer.

12/08/11

Latin Compline at St Margaret's church, Paston. - 24th July 2011

To celebrate St Margaret's day, we held a Latin Compline in the church by candlelight. The service was led by the Rev Canon Professor Dr Loveday Alexander, who introduced it with a short talk explaining the important role of daily worship in the lives of families in the 15th century.

As usual, the service was very moving...a link with the words spoken in worship for centuries in this ancient place.

14/07/11

What was intended to be the final, climactic weekend of our Reading the Past in the Landscape project began with an excellent day on Saturday, March 3, when a steady stream of visitors to Paston Church enjoyed an exhibition of old maps, old photographs and records relating to the parish, as well as historical re-enactment from PHS regulars. There was also the opportunity to visit  a site outside the Barn, where archaeologist Dr Richard Hoggett was supervising the creation of a "Dig and Sow" pilot pit (see separate item).

Paston landscape 

The Reading the Past in the Landscape walk that was postponed because of bad weather in February eventually took place on the afternoon of Saturday, April 28 under a grey sky, driven along by a vigorous, cold wind and with more than a spot of rain. So no real improvement there, but landscape archaeologist Dr Richard Hoggett put a brave face on it, and ten brave souls gathered at Paston Barn and walked from there by the back roads to Lucy's home, Dayspring, where hot refreshments awaited.

The results of the Dig and Sow day at Paston on May 19 have been issued in a Pottery Report from Access Cambridge Archaeology supervisor Catherine Ranson. 

Click on http://www.pastonheritage.co.uk/sites/default/files/PAS12PotReport.doc for the detailed report. Further information is also available on the ACA website at http://www.arch.cam.ac.uk/aca/excavationreports.html

In the warm and welcoming setting of the Ship Inn, Mundesley, the annual general meeting of the Paston Heritage Society heard from its chairman, Jo Berry, on March 29 that more and more interest was being shown in the village, the letters and the Paston family itself.

Highlights of the past year (details elsewhere on this website) included events at Blofield and Dragon Hall and the launch of a new poetry book. More recently working with the Norfolk Coast Partnership led to the Reading the Past in our Landscape project, and now Dig and Sow, involving Carenza Lewis of Time Team fame.