Volunteer for New Forest National Park Coastal Heritage Project

Although the Solent has a rich coastal heritage we know very little about it and suspect there is much to be discovered. The Coastal Heritage Project has therefore been set up both to fully record the archaeology of the Hampshire coastline and to share this with as many people as possible.

The project extends beyond the New Forest National Park boundary north to Redbridge and west to the Hampshire-Dorset border. It covers 82 kilometres of coast and includes the area 10 metres above sea level through the intertidal zone to six nautical miles off shore.

The Project will help to inform decisions about the future management of the coastal margin, especially as we respond to rising sea levels and specific threats to archaeological sites. This local project forms part of the larger national English Heritage Rapid Coastal Zone Assessment programme.

A  range of exciting educational initiatives  are planned to promote the coastal heritage of the New Forest and involve local people of all ages.

There are three stages to the project:

1. Desk Based Assessment

2. Fieldwork

3. Interpretation and Dissemination

Expressions of interest as currently being requested from people who would like to volunteer with fieldwork and perhaps other aspects of the project, this will involve fieldwork on the coastal margin and also opportunities for diving fieldwork within the Solent. Please register your interest by visiting the website, http://www.newforestnpa.gov.uk/coastal completing and returning the volunteer form or by emailing: archaeology@newforestnpa.gov.uk.