WHO ARE THE TFIG?
In 2009, a group of like-minded people became inspired by the history of Under Whitle Farm and a series of Tudor documents relating the area. With a wide background in education we began to develop an exciting interactive learning opportunity for local primary schools. Children came to Under Whitle to experience life as a tudor farmer, cooking pottage over an open fire, ploughing as an oxen team, weaving and spinning and learning how to write a will with a quill.
Meet the individuals involved in the TFIG: Lynn Burrow, Pete Wardle, Rose Clarke, Eric Wood, Margaret Black, Peter McGrory, Elspeth Walker, Leila Serougi, Harry Ball, Paul Walker.
Peeling Back the Layers was a hands-on educational project, run by the Tudor Farming Interpretation Group (TFIG). A wide range of people investigated the history and archaeology of Whitle, Sheen and the surrounding landscape. Groups and individuals joined together with primary and secondary schools, young archaeologists, local history enthusiasts and mental health groups in a fascinating exploration of our local heritage.
The project focuses on excavating a potential medieval house platform previously investigated as part of Peeling Back the Layers archaeology project in 2016. This earlier excavation found evidence of a possible dwelling in the form of an ephemeral piece of daub, pottery dating to the 16th and possibly 15th century, and charcoal radiocarbon dating to 1350+/-30 years. With this project we are hoping to finally to ascertain the origins of Whitle by matching historical research to the archaeology revealed in these new excavations and perhaps reveal one of the earliest farmsteads in Whitle!
