Category: Event

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Green Days Continue at Ballast Hills

Volunteers have continued to meet at Ballast Hills Burial Ground for Green Days, helping to keep the site tidy, welcoming, and respectful. Recent sessions have included litter picking, light vegetation work, and general site care.

Wild Intrigue also provided an update on the birds using the burial ground, helping us to understand Ballast Hills as both a historic landscape and a living urban green space.

The remaining scheduled Green Days for 2026 are:

  • Tuesday, 4 August
  • Tuesday, 1 September

Sessions run from 6.30 to 8.00 pm. Volunteers can meet at the painted shipping container behind The Ship Inn at 6.30 pm, or at Ballast Hills at approximately 6.45 pm. Equipment will be provided, but please wear suitable outdoor clothing and bring your preferred gloves, if you have them.

Everyone is welcome, whether you can join regularly or attend only occasionally. Please contact us at ballast.hills@newcastle.ac.uk with any questions, or to let us know whether we can expect you.

We may arrange a few additional Green Days in the lead-up to our Heritage Open Days programme on 19 September. Please stay tuned for further details.

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Celebrating Curiosity: Recognition, Evidence, People, and Protection

On 15 June, volunteers, project partners, researchers, performers, and community supporters gathered at Brinkburn St Brewery to celebrate what curiosity has made possible at Ballast Hills Burial Ground. The event marked the close of the AHRC Curiosity Award phase, but not the end of the work.

The presentation focused on four themes: recognition, evidence, people, and protection. The project has helped to make Ballast Hills more visible as a burial landscape, heritage asset, and place of memory, while drawing together evidence from maps, registers, gravestone inscriptions, archives, geophysical surveys, laser scanning, and onsite recording.

The work has also begun to reconnect names in the records with families, occupations, neighbourhoods, descendants, and the wider history of Newcastle. Volunteers made much of this possible, contributing more than 1000 hours, student interns, and project partners.

Music and poetry from Beneath This Ground, performed by Marina Dodgson, Maurice Condie, and Harry Gallagher, formed a memorable part of the evening. Guests also explored project handouts, shared conversations, and enjoyed Ballast Hills Brown muffins and Ballast Hills Brown Ale, created with Brinkburn St Brewery.

The evening also recognised the project’s 2026 Newcastle University Engagement & Place Award for Engaging for Cultural Benefit. The final theme, protection, looked ahead to the continuing need for research, documentation, partnership working, and long-term care.

We are grateful to everyone who attended and to all those who contributed their time, knowledge, creativity, and support.

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Celebrating Curiosity at Ballast Hills

The Ballast Hills Burial Ground project will mark the close of the current AHRC Curiosity Award funding period with a Celebrating Curiosity gathering on Monday, 15 June 2026. Although this particular funding period is coming to an end, work at Ballast Hills will continue through further research, volunteering, public engagement, and partnership activity.

The evening is open to everyone with an interest in Ballast Hills, local history, heritage, poetry, music, community research, or the wider stories connected with the burial ground. Whether you have volunteered, attended previous events, followed the project online, recently heard about the site, or are simply curious to learn more, you are warmly invited to join us.

The programme will include music and poetry from Maurice Condie, Marina Dodgson, and Harry Gallagher, who will share selections from Beneath This Ground. Myra Giesen, Project Lead, will provide an overview of the project and its achievements, alongside special acknowledgements and time to chat, reconnect, and meet others interested in the project.

The celebration will also include the launch of Ballast Hills Brown Ale, honouring brewing histories connected with the site.

Date: Monday, 15 June 2026
Time: 17:30 to 20:30
Arrival from: 17:00
Location: Brinkburn St Brewery, Ouseburn, NE6 1NW

This is a free event, but booking is essential. Book your free ticket here: Celebration of Curiosity

Light snacks, cake and fruit will be provided, while drinks will be available to purchase from the bar. Guests are encouraged to arrive early, with the option to visit Ballast Hills Burial Ground (it is diagonally across the street) before the main event and spend time at the site.

Please feel free to invite a friend, forward the invitation, or share the registration link with anyone who may be interested.

All are welcome.

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🌿 Green Days at Ballast Hills 🌿

We are launching regular Tuesday Green Days at BHBG, starting on the first Tuesday of each month.

🕡 Time: 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm

Meet at the painted shipping container behind the Ship Inn at 6:30 pm, or at Ballast Hills at approximately 6:45 pm. We may stay a little longer as the evenings get lighter and if it feels right on the day.

📅 Upcoming dates (2026): 5 May, 2 June, 7 July, 4 August, 1 September

These sessions are a collaborative volunteering effort between the BHBG project and the Ouseburn Trust Environmental Group, focused on caring for the site in a relaxed and social way.

You do not need to bring any equipment, as everything will be provided. Please wear suitable outdoor clothing, and feel free to bring your favourite gloves.

All are welcome, whether you can join regularly or just drop in when you are able.

Come along, get involved, and spend some time helping care for this unique historic landscape.

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Join the Ballast Hills Burial Ground Project at Home Educators Day

The Ballast Hills Burial Ground Project will be taking part in Home Educators Day at the Great North Museum: Hancock (GNM:H) on 13 February 2026, offering hands-on activities and a rolling presentation designed for home-educating families.

Discover how a burial ground becomes a classroom

Using Ballast Hills Burial Ground as a case study, we will show how burial sites can support cross-curricular learning across history, literacy, numeracy, geography, and creative work. While we draw on Ballast Hills, families and educators can apply the same ideas to their own local cemetery or burial ground.

Activities throughout the day

Design your own gravestone
Explore how inscriptions, symbols, and materials tell stories about people’s lives, then create your own design.

Build a family tree
Map out your family connections and discover how ancestry is traced through records, stories, and archives.

Historical occupations challenge
Interpret real job titles recorded at Ballast Hills and explore how work and society have changed over time.

Education Activity Sheet: Bringing the Evidence Together
A guided set of activities will help students and families to investigate how different types of evidence connect. Topics include:

  • Bills of mortality and how deaths were recorded
  • What graves tell us about families and relationships
  • Dates, ages, and life expectancy
  • Living conditions and longevity
  • Memory, forgetting, and who is remembered
  • Walking on history and recognising hidden landscapes
  • Bringing different sources together to build a fuller picture of the past

Explorer’s Guide
Take away ideas and prompts for visiting and studying your own local burial ground, turning it into a place of ongoing learning.

Running Presentation
A short, rolling presentation will run throughout the day, introducing Ballast Hills Burial Ground and demonstrating how one site can support a wide range of curriculum-linked activities. Drop in at any time.

Why take part

  • Activities suitable for a range of ages and abilities
  • Practical ideas for cross-curricular learning at home
  • Opportunities to connect history with real places and real people
  • Resources you can take away and use in your own local area

Event details

  • Date: 13 February 2026
  • Time: 9:00 to 14:00 (quiet hour from 9:00–10:00)
  • Location: Great North Museum: Hancock

Join us for a day of discovery, creativity, and learning through place. If you have any further questions about this event, please contact a member of the Learning team at the GNM:H by email: learning@greatnorthmuseum.org.uk.

Part of the Ballast Hills Burial Ground Project: unlocking the past, enjoying the present, and planning for the future.

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Heritage Open Days 2025 at Ballast Hills

Heritage Open Days gave us three different ways to explore Ballast Hills this year, each offering a fresh perspective on the site and its history.

Exploring History at 51 Lime Street

Our first event took place at 51 Lime Street, where visitors immersed themselves in the stories of the burial ground. Activity sheets encouraged people to look closely at details, while Gary offered a hands-on lesson in family history research. A slideshow traced the site’s long and complex past, linking it to the ongoing work of the project. Visitors also had the chance to see a selection of objects uncovered during recent pathway work. These finds most likely came from a historic rubbish dump upslope rather than being directly connected to the burials themselves, but they nevertheless shed light on the changing use of the surrounding landscape.

Events on Site at Ballast Hills

Despite persistent rain, two further events were held outdoors on site. Visitors braved the weather to explore the burial ground using our new Explorer’s Guide, which highlights gravestone inscriptions, pathway segments, and the wider landscape of the ground. Then, as the skies cleared, the atmosphere shifted. Poetry and music performed by Marina, Maurice, and Harry filled the space, weaving words and sounds into the very fabric of Ballast Hills. Experiencing these performances within the site itself created a strong and tangible connection with the past. Numbers were smaller than hoped, but those who attended were deeply engaged, with many discovering Ballast Hills for the first time.

Activities that Spark Reflection

Many visitors particularly enjoyed puzzling over family trees and taking home “design your own gravestone” sheets. These simple activities encouraged people to reflect on ancestry, memory, and how lives are commemorated. They sparked thoughtful conversations, showing how creative approaches can open up discussion about history, heritage, and identity.

Thank You

Events like these depend on the generosity and creativity of many people. We extend heartfelt thanks to Gary, Lynn, Jen, and Steve for volunteering their time and expertise, and to Marina, Maurice, and Harry for their moving performances. Thanks also to John, who kindly documented the events in photographs, which we look forward to sharing soon.

Looking Ahead

Heritage Open Days are about more than single moments. They open doors to hidden stories, connect people with overlooked places, and put sites like Ballast Hills onto a wider map of heritage and memory. This year’s programme showed just how powerful those connections can be. We look forward to welcoming even more people next year for another round of discovery and reflection.

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Heritage Open Days 2025

This September, we’re hosting three special events as part of Heritage Open Days, England’s largest festival of history and culture, running 12–21 September 2025. These free events are your chance to explore BHBG, hear its stories, and experience its history through words, music, and hands-on activities.

Saturday 13 September 2025

Paths Through the Past: Discovering Ballast Hills Burial Ground

13:00-15:30 | 51 Lime Street (NE1 2PQ)

Perfect for individuals and families, this drop-in session offers a hands-on introduction to the history of Ballast Hills and the research uncovering its stories. Try tracing your own family tree, design a gravestone, or learn about the lives behind the memorials. Whether you’re just curious or already connected to the site, there’s something here for everyone.

Onsite Exploration of Ballast Hills Burial Ground

16:00-17:00 | Ballast Hills Burial Ground (NE6 1LL)

Discover BHBG in three engaging ways: follow an explorer’s guide at your own pace to uncover hidden features and solve site challenges; chat with onsite guides for lively stories and recent research finds; and take part in hands-on activities that bring this historic burial ground to life.

Ballast Hills Burial Ground Poetry and Music Performance: Beneath This Ground

17:30-18:30 | Ballast Hills Burial Ground (NE6 1LL)

Beneath This Ground is a powerful, site-specific performance of original poetry and fiddle music created by Marina Dodgson, Maurice Condie, and Harry Gallagher. Inspired by the lives of those buried here, the work blends words and music to bring their stories to life. Performed outdoors at the burial ground, the performance allows the space itself to become part of the storytelling, offering a rare chance to connect emotionally and creatively with this historic site.

Whether you join us for one event or all three, you’ll come away with a richer understanding of this remarkable place and its enduring significance.

See the full Heritage Open Days 2025 programme (12–21 September): HODs Event Calendar

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Launch of the North East Funerary Heritage Group

On 23 July 2025, the North East Funerary Heritage Group (NEFHG) was officially launched at Newcastle Cathedral. This regional initiative brings together individuals and organisations with a shared interest in funerary heritage, ranging from urban cemeteries to rural churchyards, to collectively explore the cultural, historical, and social value of burial spaces across the North East.

The event featured panel talks, focused group discussions, and a series of hands-on workshops designed to help shape the group’s future direction. These sessions created space for participants to reflect on shared experiences and identify common challenges. From preservation concerns and interpretation strategies to community engagement and ethical decision-making, the diversity of voices highlighted just how much can be gained through regional collaboration.

The BHBG project played a key role in helping establish the group and sponsored the launch event. Many of the participants present have been involved in projects facing similar opportunities and pressures, making BHBG’s contribution especially relevant. The project’s emphasis on inclusive, co-produced heritage, its navigation of archival and ethical complexities, and its growing community of volunteers offered a useful model as the group begins to take shape.

The launch brought together key players in the region, from local historians and heritage professionals to volunteers, artists, and civic groups to co-create and define what this network will become. The momentum generated was exciting, with a strong sense that the time is right to share knowledge, build capacity, and speak with a collective voice.

Membership in NEFHG is free and open to all. If you’re interested in joining, simply visit the group’s website or just sign up to become a member. It’s quick, easy, and a great way to stay informed and involved.

Together, we can ensure that the stories embedded in our region’s burial landscapes are recognised, respected, and remembered, and that they inform how we engage with heritage, community, and place today.

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Join Us at the NEFHG Launch Event – Celebrating Funerary Heritage in the North East

We are delighted to share that the North East Funerary Heritage Group (NEFHG) will officially launch this summer and the BHBG project is proud to be a sponsor of the event.

🗓 Date: Wednesday, 23 July 2025

🕐 Time: 13:00–16:00

📍 Venue: Newcastle Cathedral (The Nave)

This launch event marks an important step in building a regional network for those who care about burial spaces and memorial traditions. NEFHG brings together researchers, local historians, heritage professionals, community groups, interested individuals, and policy-makers to foster collaboration, raise awareness, and promote respectful care for funerary heritage across the North East.

The afternoon will feature short talks, breakout discussions, and opportunities to shape NEFHG’s future direction. Whether you’re engaged in cemetery care, historical research, or simply have a personal interest, this is a welcoming space to connect and contribute.

As part of the day, NEFHG is also exploring the possibility of optional morning field trips linked to the event—and it is quite possible that one of these will be a walk or talk at Ballast Hills Burial Ground. We’ll share more details soon.

As a sponsor, we are especially pleased to support NEFHG’s launch and its vision to build a collaborative and inclusive network rooted in local knowledge and shared engagement with our region’s rich funerary heritage.

Interested in taking part?

You can learn more about NEFHG on their blog. Membership is free and open to individuals and organisations with an interest in funerary heritage. Join here.

Stay tuned for the full programme and registration link. In the meantime, save the date, and we hope to see you there.

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Celebrating Local History Month with Newcastle Libraries

We are delighted that the Ballast Hills Burial Ground project is taking part in Local History Month 2025, hosted by our valued project partner, Newcastle Libraries. The library has put together a brilliant and diverse programme of talks, walks, and workshops throughout May, all highlighting the richness of our region’s past.

As part of the series, Mike Greatbatch and Myra Giesen will be giving a talk on Tuesday, 20 May at 14:00, titled “Buried Stories: Exploring Ballast Hills Burial Ground.” We’ll be sharing recent discoveries from the project, including fascinating histories drawn from archival research, and offering reflections on the site’s changing significance over time. Whether you are familiar with the burial ground or curious to know more, we hope you’ll join us for this free event at Newcastle City Library.

Although the event is free, booking is essential. To reserve your place:

  1. Visit Eventbrite
  2. Select Tuesday 20 May
  3. Click Get tickets
  4. Scroll down to find and book the Ballast Hills event at 14:00

You can browse the Libraries’ full programme of Local History Month events in the digital brochure here. It’s packed with great opportunities to explore and celebrate Newcastle’s past, we’re thrilled to be involved.

We hope to see many of you on the 20th!