Huddersfield students map out future for York’s medieval hidden gem
Architecture students from Huddersfield have collaborated with academics, archaeologists and counterparts from other universities on a project to showcase Barley Hall, the ‘hidden medieval gem’ in the centre of York.
Tucked away down a narrow alley near York Minster, Barley Hall is a reconstructed medieval town house that dates from around 1360. Students from the University’s Architecture BA recently took part in a two-day workshop, led by Huddersfield, at Barley Hall that is leading to innovative applications of digital technology at the townhouse off Stonegate.
The workshop saw Huddersfield’s students joined by history and archaeology students from the University of York, representatives of the charity and Barley Hall owners York Archaeology and academics.
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In the wake of the workshop, Huddersfield’s academics Dr Danilo Di Mascio and Dr Yisi Liu have embarked on a 12-month long project to use 3D digital technology to help show Barley Hall’s assets become more accessible to people with mobility issues.
“The cultural value of heritage in our society nowadays is essential for present and future generations, so this is an essential collaboration,” says Dr Di Mascio, Principal Investigator and Senior Lecturer in Architecture.
“This was the fifth contextualised digital heritage workshop I have led, but the first in the UK following events in Finland, Poland, South Korea and China. Our students helped to identify research and interpretation opportunities for Barley Hall, and now have a better understanding of local expertise on the building as well as the research and analysis of Barley Hall that is already available.
Barley Hall's courtyard
Inside the workshop
Nostell Priory built and owned Barley Hall until the dissolution of the monasteries under Henry VIII.
Students from Huddersfield came together with counterparts from York at the workshop.
Barley Hall was rediscovered and classed as medieval in the 1980s
“The workshop helped to connect participants from multidisciplinary backgrounds - students, academics, researchers and lay people by collecting data including photos and video as well as making mind maps to further plan the project.”
The University’s AHRC Impact Accelerator Account (IAA) Co-creation Fund Scheme will help Dr Di Mascio and Dr Liu carry out the project with Barley Hall, which currently has around 30,000 visitors a year.
“Input from the University of Huddersfield has been really valuable in shaping how we approach interpretation and narrative at Barley Hall. This workshop is the latest activity in a long-running collaboration, and York Archaeology looks forward to the innovations the next 12 months will bring”, said Dr Chris Tuckley, Head of Interpretation and Learning at Barley Hall.
The University’s IAA Programme is UKRI funding from the AHRC, ESRC & EPSRC which supports the translation of the University’s research into real-world opportunities. For more information on the schemes that we run, visit the website.