Author: Jackie Glew

Over the past 3 years, we have been interviewing local residents about life in Knaresborough during the 1930s, 40s and 50s. From overcrowded gas lit housing to acts of incredible heroism during WW2, the project aims to record these powerful stories before they are lost forever. The Memories Project covers childhood, living conditions, school days…

Leprosy . . . Plague . . . Cholera; pandemics from bygone ages that wreaked havoc on unprotected populations. By delving into archives, studying artefacts, interviewing hospital staff and patients, and undertaking archaeological research, we have been building up a picture of historical diseases and health provision from medieval times to the mid 20th century.  Our…

In 2023 a grant from the Lottery Heritage Fund enabled KMA to undertake a geophysical survey of two fields on Abbey Road that had been part of the priory precinct. The results showed a huge amount of archaeology, including a probable dovecote and other medieval buildings, as well as a possible prehistoric round house.  Only…

KMA joined forces with two local archaeology groups to excavate a tunnel in Spitalcroft. We discovered a 1.2m circular basin which academic experts believe was used for bathing lepers in medieval times.

St Robert’s far-reaching influence, a little remembered priory, and the aftermath of the Dissolution are the  focus of this medieval detective story. We are exploring new and fascinating evidence of stunning masonry, engineering and scholarship, as well as trying to solve the mystery of whether Knaresborough was once home to a leper colony.  Investigations into…

“Don’t forget your bow, arrows and candles. Don’t arrive ragged and unwashed. Only speak Latin in PE”.  These rules, set out for King James School pupils in 1616, show how much school life has changed! We have been researching the lives of children, rich and poor, and how education has impacted on their lives over…

KMA undertook an archaeology survey of a former Game-Watcher’s cottage which had enigmatic incised crosses on one wall, suggesting monastic  origins. The survey results indicated that the cottage was possibly built in the mid-18th century, designed by renowned architect John Carr, later being repurposed as a cottage. The survey also revealed living conditions for families…