St James Priory was wonderfully restored with the help of an HLF grant between 2009 and 2011. Consequently, this Grade 1 listed building has been preserved as a heritage site of outstanding significance.
However, the history of the area around it lay hidden by the changing cityscape and changing business use. Following another successful application to HLF St James Priory was allocated a further grant to explore this hidden history.
The project is designed to uncover that history and help others engage with it so that people can learn about the heritage of their workplace building or locality and participate in activities that create and encourage respect for and interest in that heritage. We will explore the lives of the people who lived in the area, look at the relevance of the old street names to the heritage and see the changes over the centuries through the use of old maps.
From the research we have produced a variety of exhibits, including a travelling exhibition which will circulate round offices and shops in the area.
These are a selection of the research outcomes.