PARK in the Past in Hope is inviting the public and supporters to an exclusive glimpse of the reconstructed Roman fort now rapidly taking shape on site.
It follows several months of extensive landscaping, heritage and conservation at the site in Hope.
The Roman fort is the main feature of Park in the Past’s exciting recreation of an ancient British landscape which includes a prehistoric realm complete with stone circle, standing stones, stream-fed sacred pool, and will eventually feature a giant earth house for use by schools and community events.
Brainchild of project champion Paul Harston, the Roman fort was the beginning of a dream which is finally coming true.
Paul said: “Ten years ago our company Roman Tours invested prize money from a Barclay’s Bank Business Competition into developing the Roman fort and park concept. It’s been a long hard road but now we’ve finally got there and are going from strength to strength.”
The fort project is a unique challenge and will be the first complete conquest-period fort to be built in Britain for nearly 2,000 years.
Paul and his team are running a crowdfunding campaign called Britain’s Big Fort Build to highlight the project.
Paul said: “Over the last six months we’ve made tremendous progress. We’ve created the fort footprint, raised the defensive ramparts and dropped the gate tower into position. Now we’re asking for the generous help of people around Britain to help us get to the next critical stage. We want people to join us to build the palisade fence around the fort, as well as corner towers and a construction workshop”.
The Roman fort is a key part of a wider educational aim to recreate a first century AD landscape with benefits for visitors and schools and universities teaching history and heritage. It will also provide an open-air ‘laboratory’ to enable experimental archaeologists to investigate how people lived in the past.
Paul added: “We believe in taking history off the page and making it come alive. Our 120 acre site is actually twice the size of the Eden project in Cornwall and has fantastic potential to improve the physical and mental health of everyone.”
Fellow director Phil Hirst said: “We’re not just creating an entire historic landscape and authentic Roman fort, we’re hoping to transform the lives of people who are struggling from the impact of Covid-19 by getting them out in the fresh air enjoying our incredible site.”
The park has seven different landscapes: wild flower meadows, woodlands, wetlands, 35 acre lake, River Alyn, sand dunes and scrubland providing perfect habitats for all types of flowers and wildlife.
Phil said: “We’re working with academic experts at University of Chester and Masters students researching and designing spaces to help those with a range of mental health issues including Autism, PSTD and other essential needs. We’re also collaborating with local agencies to offer different experiences as part of social prescribing services for patients referred by their GPs.”
The recent landscaping project has been made possible by the park’s ecological partners Smurfitt Kappa who share the team’s vision for rewilding this old quarry and for helping to improve the health of the community.
Paul said: “We are incredibly grateful to our volunteer team and generous supporters have stuck with us through thick and thin. We suffered delays due to planning and bad weather slowing progress. Ironically, the dreadful Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 galvanised us to open our therapeutic green space to NHS staff, essential workers and the general public, a place to come and relax and recharge their batteries. It was a tremendous success and we want to keep this going.”
“What we need now is the help of N Wales Tourism and other government agencies to position the park as a major heritage site not just in north Wales but the whole of Britain. The park offers an untapped resource to improve the lives of thousands of people especially those struggling from the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. The park will help to address the needs of the community, economic regeneration of NE Wales and the environment together in one neat package”.
Britain’s Big Fort Build campaign can be found at www.crowdfunder.co.uk/britains-big-fort-build-at-park-in-the-past
The Big Fort Build and Park Open Weekend is Saturday and Sunday, November 6&7, 10am – 4pm.
There is a small entry fee for 12 years and over. Free parking.
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