Walking with Artefacts

Worthing archaeologist, James Sainsbury has developed a unique series of walks which take ancient artefacts back to the places they were found.

The walks, held by Worthing Museum and Art Gallery, take genuine artefacts out of the museum and back into countryside to archaeological sites such as Cissbury Ring and Arundel Park.

The walks are believed to be the first of their kind in the country – enabling participants to experience the landscape of the South Downs in a brand new way.

‘As far as we are aware this is a unique feature in heritage walks nationwide and could realistically be rolled-out across the country in the future,’ says the Museum.

‘These walks have been very popular since their inception and ultimately help to promote (and one hopes to eventually protect), the beautiful countryside of the South Downs area, as well as the alluvial valleys such as the Arun & Adur.’

The walks are graded by difficulty and at least one every year is designed to be accessible to people who are less mobile.

The walks, which have been running since 2016, have proved very popular – attracting up to 40 people for each event. There are now plans to expand the programme to include Wealden sites in the future.

‘The visceral experiences on these walks, coupled with the fresh air and vistas, are what many people enjoy most,’ says the Museum. ‘One of the key positives is seeing people go from strangers to friends over a season.’

Eleven walks were planned for Summer 2020, but these were postponed due to Coronavirus.