Community engagement

Members of the local community getting involved with the excavation

As part of the archaeological project, one of the biggest aims was to encourage participation from the local community and to train local groups in archaeological investigation and field techniques. Particular emphasis was placed on the inclusion of those who had never been previously involved with archaeological heritage. This included pupils from the local schools, youth groups, local history groups and members of the local community, amongst others.

Thirty-two test pits across the site were excavated by over 500 schoolchildren from local schools including Longstone Primary School, Bakewell Methodist Junior School, Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School at Ashbourne, and Buxton Community School. Members of the Sheffield Young Archaeologists Club, along with several university students and ‘A’ level students from Lady Manners school and Frederick Gent School also took part in the excavations.

An additional aim of the project was to raise public awareness, understanding and enjoyment, of what is a nationally important site. The site of Fin Cop is on private land, and although a public footpath runs close by, there is no direct access to the site itself, and so exploration is illegal.

As part of the project, a schools lesson pack has been produced based on the excavations at the hillfort. This is free to use for teachers and can be downloaded by clicking on the link below.

Fin Cop Schools Pack [4.7Mb]