06 January 2012

The pupils from St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Spenbrook Road, Newchurch-in-Pendle teamed up with experts from NP Archaeology, for a special workshop at the United Utilities site today (January 6).

The discovery of the cottage, made by United Utilities during routine safety work at the reservoir, caused an international sensation in December 2011. The ruin, which included a cat skeleton sealed into the wall, was even rumoured to be Malkin tower - site of a famous meeting of the Pendle witches back in the early 1600s.

More than 20 children, aged 7-11, tried their hand at the painstaking trowel work that the archaeologists used to uncover the ruin.

Susan Hasler-Cregg, head teacher at St Mary's said: "The find is fairly close to the school and has really captured the children's imagination. We've been talking about the ruins in the classroom, as part of a school project on settlements, so this was a fantastic opportunity for the pupils to see the site close up, and learn a little about how professional archaeologists go about their work. Our thanks for to United Utilities and NP Archaeology for making this happen."

Carl Sanders, project manager for United Utilities said: "We're delighted to be able to involve the school in this discovery. The site is so well preserved that it was easy for the pupils to get a real sense of history here. It was a fascinating day for them."

Frank Giecco from NP Archaeology said: "This building is a microcosm for the rise and fall of this area, from the time of the Pendle witches to the industrial age. There are layers of local history right before your eyes.

"Our job is to provide United Utilities with a detailed report on the building - using a combination of desk research and careful excavation work and analysis on site. I hope the workshop gave the children a good insight into how we go about the task. The work is often far from glamorous, especially when the rain and wind are lashing on a freezing January morning, but it's always interesting."

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