As Chair and Trustee of the project to return the most complete roman kiln found in Greater London to Highgate Wood, it has been wonderful to see the plans take shape over the past year thanks to the Heritage Lottery funding to “fire London’s Imagination”.

At this week’s AGM we spoke about the community outreach work that has been taking place including running a stall at Bruce Castle Heritage Day, providing information about the Roman kiln and the FOHRK project, as well as the opportunity to make a Highgate ware-style pot from clay provided. The same session was repeated at the Crouch End Festival and the Highgate Wood Heritage Day in September.

The team have also been working with local schools to run KS2 workshops including at Coleridge Primary and weekly nurture workshops at Mulberry School for Girls in Tower Hamlets.  A group of students identified as likely to benefit socially or emotionally from their participation in the programme were chosen. Working on a series of creative clay projects themed around the Ancient World (and starting off with the Highgate Wood pot), students spent an hour a week for six weeks in a creative and nurturing setting.

These are all important steps forward as we work to bring this important piece of history back to Highgate Wood where it belongs, and bring the community along to learn about London’s history and archaeology and the Roman site at Highgate.