Rachel Jackson has been Site Manager at Clitheroe Castle Museum since it re-opened in 2009 following major restoration work. I met Rachel in early 2010 to find out more about one of Lancashire’s newest visitor attractions and what it’s like to work in the museum.
Rachel starts by telling me that they have been very busy since the museum re-opened and that she’s working on a number of projects including two with a local school on a media project to produce a film of the castle and another to organise a one day Norman experience in the grounds of the castle. It is clear that Rachel likes the hands on approach to learning;
“Experiencing history is best way to learn and it can be very satisfying when someone leaves the museum having learnt something new. Our visitors like the hands-on exhibits and the imaginative way we have presented the history of Clitheroe.”
Rachel tells me that she is very lucky to have a really good team of staff working at the castle but mentions that they will be looking for volunteers to help with projects in the future so if anyone is interested please get in touch.
Rachel’s background is in geology so our conversation naturally turned to our location, perched on top of a hill;
“The geology of Clitheroe is fascinating - Its quite amazing and odd to think that we are sitting on something so old. The rock that this hill is made of was being formed 100 million years before the dinosaurs walked the earth.”
Rachel tells me to look out for a slab of Crinoidal limestone in the museum which is 350 million years old and was formed when Clitheroe was under water – hence the fossilised remains of ancient sealillies. Lancashire’s limestone is one of the reasons why this area is so agriculturally rich. You can still see the remains of Lime kilns, which were used from the 16th century to produce lime as a soil improver, at places like Dunsop and Whitewell.
The museum exhibition also includes exhibits on the history of the cotton mills and the workers who lived in the area. You can listen to recordings of mill workers talking about their lives and find out more about what it was like to live in Clitheroe during the industrial revolution.
When I ask Rachel what it’s like to work in such an historic building she laughs and points out that its very prone to drafts and that the walk up and down the hill every day can be tough. On a positive note she adds that the views from the castle across the Ribble Valley and beyond are breath taking and I can’t help but agree.
Find out more about Clitheroe Castle Museum.
Rachel Jackson
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