Queen’s University Belfast, through the Community Archaeology Programme Northern Ireland (CAPNI), recently joined forces with local schools and community volunteers to uncover hidden history in Woodvale Park. Over the course of the excavation, pupils from Blackmountain PS, Forth River PS, Glenwood PS, Harmony PS, Malvern PS, Springfield PS and Springhill PS took part in hands-on fieldwork alongside archaeologists from Queen’s and members of the local community, helping to reveal the remains of a 19th-century house that once stood within the park.

The excavation gave pupils the unique opportunity to experience life as archaeologists. In the week leading up to the dig, they took part in workshops at the Spectrum Centre where they learned how to recognise artefacts and practice excavation skills. Equipped with this knowledge, the children arrived on site ready to get to work. Using trowels and brushes with great care, they uncovered the original pathway through Woodvale Park alongside the foundations of Woodvale House, once home to Reverend Octavius Glover before the land was purchased by Belfast Corporation in 1888.