From Festival makers to award winners: Gloucestershire YAC’s remarkable summer
August 2026
Gloucestershire YAC has had a busy summer! Inspired by the Festival of Archaeology theme of Archaeology and Nature, young archaeologists created their own ‘Nature Through Time’ trail and recreated historic recipes. The club’s hard work was recognised at their first ever awards event! In our latest blog post branch leader Amelie, Learning Officer at Gloucester Cathedral, tells us more…
Festival of Archaeology project
Gloucestershire YAC set itself a big summer challenge: could our members research, design and deliver their own activities for the public? The answer was a resounding yes—and that was only the beginning!
Every summer the Council for British Archaeology coordinates the UK-wide Festival of Archaeology – a national programme of archaeological events and experiences for all ages. This year’s theme was Archaeology & Nature. This summer, Gloucestershire YAC set itself a big challenge: could our members research, design and deliver their own activities for the Gloucester Festival of Archaeology?
The answer was a resounding yes! Our young archaeologists created an accessible Nature Through Time trail across Gloucester and a medieval recipe booklet—complete with allergen-free pottage for visitors to taste and gingerbread sweets inspired by a 1390s recipe from Gloucester Cathedral’s archive.
Two groups—and lots of ideas!
We began in March by exploring archaeology and nature around Gloucester. Members visited the Cathedral’s medieval herb garden, Gardens Through Time at The Forum and the garden at Llanthony Secunda Priory before splitting into two project groups.
Our trail group created Nature Through Time, leading visitors across the city centre, Cross Streets and Gloucester Docks. At each stop they included a fun fact and a question or activity.
Click here to view the Nature Through Time trail!
The group thought carefully about accessibility, choosing a step-free route, readable font sizes and dyslexia-friendly colours. They also designed reward stickers using Canva. Jenson, a Young Archaeologist loved that part so much that he told us:
“I love YAC and I want to make stickers for the festival every year!”
Our food group researched medieval recipes, herbs and medicine. YA Arrietty watched documentaries and carried on researching at home, where she discovered that snails were once used to make purple dye while Seren spent her own time designing the recipe book.
Its star recipe came from a medieval herbal written in Latin by the Benedictine monks of Gloucester’s St Peter’s Abbey (now Gloucester Cathedral) in the 1390s. Members translated and interpreted the instructions as ginger-and-honey sweets. They tested the recipe twice, and also tested their pottage across three sessions and decided that it definitely needed less cabbage and more salt! The final pottage served to the public was free from all 14 major UK allergens so that as many people as possible could try it.
Festival day arrives!
On Saturday 18 July, our members helped open the Gloucester Festival of Archaeology at its Family Day outside Gloucester Cathedral. They welcomed visitors, explained their research, handed out trails and recipe booklets, served food samples and photographed the event.
More than 200 people joined in. We handed out 70 trails, while around 170 people tried the pottage or received a recipe booklet. Everyone who completed our trail feedback form said they had learned something new.
Christopher was so excited that he ran around offering the recipe book to almost everyone who passed. The young archaeologists also convinced Gloucester MP Alex McIntyre and Mayor of Gloucester Counciller Adrian Graham that they simply had to try the pottage!
There were plenty of opportunities for our Young Archaeologists to try something new. Isolde used an SLR camera for the first time and took many of the photographs of the day. Beren feels nervous speaking in public and meeting new people but bravely challenged himself to talk to the MP.
Visitors described the day as “great for children” and praised our friendly young people and tasty pottage. Marc Walters, a Trustee of Gloucester Civic Trust, said the activities added to the atmosphere and value of the Family Day. He particularly enjoyed seeing young people taking part so enthusiastically and encouraging other children to get involved.
722 certificates—and a YAC first!
The Family Day was only the beginning. Two weeks later, on Saturday 1 August—the last day of Gloucester’s Festival of Archaeology—we held our first awards ceremony at the Museum of Gloucester.
Eighteen members received an amazing 722 AQA Unit Award Scheme certificates between them, covering an even greater number of completed units. As far as we are aware, they are the first YAC members ever to receive AQA Unit Award certificates!
The certificates recognised everything from Roman, medieval and local history to palaeontology, photography, cooking, risk assessments, research, teamwork, leadership and mentoring.
Mayor Adrian Graham gave a speech and presented the certificates with Branch Leaders Amelie Wiseman and Lizzy Hathaway-White. We were also joined by Councillor Caroline Courtney, Gloucester, City Archaeologist Andrew Armstrong and Peter Buxton, representing the Council for British Archaeology.
Peter gave a wonderful speech and told our young archaeologists that they were the most important people in the room because they are the next generation. There were plenty of proud—and teary—families in the audience!
Members also received Gloucester Cathedral YAC 2026 LEGO-brick keyrings, sponsored by local business Hicks Bricks. Hicks Bricks | turn your ideas into sets
“We are so proud of Fin and he is so proud of himself. Being out of school, he doesn’t get experiences like this.” — Parent feedback following the ceremony
What comes next?
Gloucestershire YAC only launched in September 2025, but our members have already grown enormously in confidence, independence and friendship. Some young people who experience separation anxiety now happily leave their parents to come to YAC—even when they do not feel able to do that elsewhere.
Next year’s programme includes touring the Roman city walls, modern-war archaeology, a visit to Bristol Museum, a Victorian Christmas and experimental archaeology of prehistory. Our members are most excited to make a YAC time capsule for the Museum of Gloucester to keep and in 5 years future Gloucestershire Young Archaeologists will open it!
We cannot wait to see what our young archaeologists discover—and create—next.
Thank you to Gloucester YAC leader Amelie for this blog post! Gloucestershire YAC is a free monthly club for young people aged 8–16, based at Gloucester Cathedral and supported by the Museum of Gloucester. They are currently at capacity but for general enquiries or to join our waiting list please email: education@gloucestercathedral.org.uk.