Colchester YAC – Caught in a Tudor Web
Colchester YAC set out to create a Martyrs’ Trail, which commemorates the Protestants from Colchester who died for their faith in the sixteenth century and show that prejudices and divisions in our town are in the past. More than four hundred years ago there was such religious conflict in England that cloth workers and farm labourers were martyred, for their protestant faith, in the castle bailey and at the town walls. Today a Mosque, Synagogue, Anglican, Methodist, Baptist, Buddhist, Greek Orthodox and Catholic places of worship are all within a short walk of the sites of martyrdom.
What was the main output from the project?
Colchester YAC members worked together to research the history of protestant martyrs in their area. They undertook site visits, map regression work, historical document and research and they also created their very own project logo.
The group created their very heritage trail around Colchester and the wider county. This was created in both a poster version and as a printed information flyer that is now available locally.
What else did they create?
Alongside the main trail map and their project logo, members wrote and acted out there own version of the events surrounding the deaths of the martyrs while they were at Colchester Castle. YAC Leader, Barbara, has also been blogging the project here: Project Blog Posts
Barbara also recorded an article for the May edition of the “Talking Magazine” for the blind and partially sighted in north Essex, which focuses on the young archaeologists’ club project. It is about 34 minutes in to the recorded magazine here: Talking Magazine Article Recording
Future Plans
The group have plans to turn their research into a project film in the near future. They are also hoping to organise tours based on their trail for the local community.
Finally, on July 30th they we will having an exhibition of the pictures, artworks, posters and links to their project. They have more than 30 hopeful members wishing to join the club and they will be inviting all these to this event and include our 40 present members.