To many people, heritage just is what it is, but what does it actually mean? And how can young people today continue to engage with it in new and exciting ways?
In part, heritage is a lot about the sentiment of a place and for many visiting; Avon Tyrrell is still in their thoughts many years on as we have such a large impact on young people's lives.
" I was one of a number of pupils who went to A.T. in 1962. Loved it and will never forget it. Thanks to A.T. I still have an interest in photography, archery and camping and went on to be a Cub Scout leader in New Zealand where I now live, I even still have contact with a friend who was with me at A.T. He now lives in Australia. Just thinking back that 50 years brings a smile to my face."
For the work that we do with young people and the history of the site, it is extremely important that they understand the importance of heritage and what that means for the future of the charity, Avon Tyrrell and the conservation of their local area.
Our apprentices and volunteers that join us from Microsoft, IBM, Natwest and Jaguar Landrover do a fantastic job of ensuring developments and improvements fit in with the natural standards needed to ensure the heritage of Avon Tyrrell remains, and for the apprentices that work here and that join us from these organisations, learning and understanding the importance of the history is how we get them involved.
Incorporating the history of the site into our activities which are linked to the National Curriculum, means that we are able to provide a high level of service to young people that helps them further understand how important conservation of heritage and the natural environment is. With outdoor learning it provides opportunities for young people to be inspired by their environment and to learn to engage with their surrounding in different ways and with this we have seen children take a new outlook on working outdoors and protecting the environment.
The John Muir Award is an environmental award scheme that we run that focuses on encouraging responsibility and engagement with the natural environment to ensure young people connect, enjoy and care for wild places. With four challenges at the heart of each Award; discover - explore - conserve – share, it stands to provide young people with an opportunity to engage with conservation and walk away not only with the award itself but a better appreciation for how and why we work to maintain the heritage of the site.
There is a lot of history here
Avon Tyrrell is a calendar house, built in 1891 by Lord Manners with his winnings from the Grand National. Designed by the Arts and Crafts architect W.R. Lethaby, requisitioned by the army during the Second World War as an intelligence gathering post and hospital, donated to the UK Youth national charity and opened by the then Princess Elizabeth
As you may or may not be aware heritage is no one thing, but a combination of a lot of different things and for Avon Tyrrell heritage can be defined through the place and the memories that are evoked here as well as 3 crucial areas from the past
The History of the local family
Let’s take you back to 1881…Lord Manners purchased a new horse called Seaman and went on to win the 1882 Grand National. Ridden by the family until his death, he is buried within the grounds at Avon Tyrrell.
Winnings….What would you do if you won £28,000? Not a lot today right? Well back then that money was the equivalent of £2.8million today and Lord Manners built a Calendar House within the grounds at Avon Tyrrell. With 365 windows (days), 7 outer doors (days per week), 52 rooms (weeks), 12 Chimneys (months) and 4 wings (seasons) where Manners lived with his family.
War….The war pursued, the Manners family relocated and Avon Tyrrell opened it’s doors as it was requisitioned as a hospital, rehabilitation centre and mortuary (I know morbid right.) After the war the Manners family donated the estate.
The History of the UK Youth Charity
Avon Tyrrell was donated to the ‘Youth of the Nation’ back in 1946 and is now managed by the national charity UK Youth. It is interesting to note that Avon Tyrrell has been a residential activity centre longer than it ever was a family home and actually piloted many youth work programmes and activities that are now nationally recognised and used across the UK today.
The Natural History of the Place
Being in the New Forest National Park and having a wide range of habitats that we use to run our programmes, Avon Tyrrell is a site of interest for its conservation value. The natural history recognises the importance of English Heritage (with the main house being Grade I listed and the grounds Grade II listed) as there aren't many listed historical homes in the country. This puts Avon Tyrrell in a stronger position to ensure young people understand the importance of conserving it.
It may not be so important to ask why we place 'value' on our heritage or to be able to express sentiment but to recognise that we place a high intrinsic value on our heritage, irrelevant of anything else.
If you are interested in finding out more about the heritage of Avon Tyrrell, we have our ‘Walk Through Time Mystery Trail’ in March. Alternatively, we have packs that you can collect from reception if you wish to find out more about the history of Avon Tyrrell and explore the trails.
Walk Through Time Mystery Trail
Saturday 28th March
Walking over ground shaped by events n living memory is a great way for people from different age groups to connect. Mission based theme trails are a great way to explore historic areas, using clues provided by plaques, monuments and building along the way to answer questions and solve the Avon Tyrrell mystery.
The trail will take approximately 2 hours so you can arrive between 10:00 and 14:00 to start.
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