Robyn Llewellyn, Head of HLF East of England said: “From new settlers of Cambourne following in the footsteps of the Romans, to celebrating the journeys that have created diverse communities in Bedford, we’re delighted to support these projects thanks to money raised by National Lottery players.”

Uncovering centuries-old stories in a new town

Just 13 years old, the new town of Cambourne is on a site which has seen continuous human settlement for thousands of years. Artefacts uncovered before building began revealed a mix of Roman and Iron Age living, raising questions about traditional assumptions of settlement patterns before and after the Roman conquest.

Now, thanks to a £50,000 National Lottery grant, students at Cambourne Village College Cambridgeshire, are setting up their own archaeological group to lead an investigations into the mysteries of their home’s past communities.

Celebrating past journeys and shared futures

Bedford has a rich heritage of migration, with people seeking sanctuary here for hundreds of years. The Higgins Bedford has been awarded £60,000 to ensure previously unheard stories of people who arrived in the town as refugees or asylum seekers become a key part of the museum’s collections.

Backed by a £9,000 National Lottery grant, John Bunyan Museum & Libraries and Bedford Chronicles will help generations of families explore two key aspects of Bedfordshire heritage; the journey John Bunyan envisioned as he was persecuted and imprisoned for his beliefs, and the journeys of people who came to Bedford after the Second World War to work at The London Brick Company, often escaping hardship to make the journey to, hopefully, a better life.

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