Tag: DIG An Archaeological Adventure

Posted on

How To Train A Dragon School exhibition opens at DIG in St Saviourgate. Author Cressida Cowell to make visit on August 21

Lady Viking (Lauren Caley) stands beneath the dragon at the new How To Be A Dragon School attraction at DIG, St Saviourgate, York. Picture: David Harrison

HERE be dragons! The How To Train Your Dragon School exhibition has opened at DIG: An Archaeological Adventure, St Saviourgate, York.

Created in partnership with author Cressida Cowell and publishers Hachette Children’s Group, this new visitor attraction is based on Cowell’s book Doom Of The Darkwing, published in May.

Look out for the dragon that soars overhead a replica Viking fishing boat, inspired by The Hopeful Puffin, the boat belonging to the star of the book series, young Viking Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III, whose adventures with his dragon Toothless will continue in a second instalment of the How To Train A Dragon School spin-off series in 2026.

Gareth Henry, director of public engagement for York Archaeology, says: “This is a brilliant new addition to DIG, and we are confident that our young visitors will absolutely love engaging with the fantastical version of the Viking world created by Cressida.

 “There are so many different ways to engage with the content, from QR codes linked to videos where Cressida introduces each of the dragons, to a storytelling tent.  We have some of the original artwork from the books on display, as well as a large, wall-filling, hand-painted map of the Isle of Berk.”

Dragon designer Patrick Beardmore surveys his handiwork at DIG. Picture: David Harrison

In a nod to DIG’s archaeological ‘dig pits’ – always a favourite among visitors – a new pit encourages visitors to grab a trowel and uncover items that feature in the book.

Author Cressida will visit DIG on Thursday, August 21 both to celebrate the exhibition and to participate in an event for fans of her books. To book tickets, go to: https://www.digyork.co.uk/cressida-cowells-dragon-school/events.

Naomi Berwin, Hachette Children’s Group’s marketing director, says: “How To Train Your Dragon is directly inspired by the Vikings in Britain, so DIG’s focus on giving children the opportunity literally to dig into York’s history – which is of course so connected to the Vikings – makes them the perfect partner for the launch year of How To Train Your Dragon School. This is going to be a really special interactive experience for families visiting the attraction.”

Interest in the exhibition is likely to be especially high, fuelled by dragon devotees dashing to bookstores to pick up copies of the whole How to Train Your Dragon series and Universal Pictures’ June 13 release of Dean DeBlois’s live-action film, preceded by DreamWorks’ animated film trilogy.

DIG is open daily from 10am to 4pm. Tickets cost £10.50 for adults, £9.50 for children, £32 for a family of four (two adults, two children) and £37 for five (two adults, three children); admission is free for under-fives. Time slots are expected to book up quickly, so pre-booking is recommended on 01904 615505 or at digyork.co.uk.

York Archaeology’s Passport, covering visits to DIG, Jorvik Viking Centre and Barley Hall, is available too. For more details, visit digyork.co.uk/visit.

Lady Viking (Lauren Caley) and dragon enthusiast Wilf Brook, aged seven, at the How To Be A Dragon School exhibition at DIG. Picture: David Harrison

What is DIG: An Archaeological Adventure?

Hands-on archaeological adventure where young explorers (recommended for ages five to 12) can become archaeologists for the day. Aided by DIG’s friendly team, visitors uncover some of York’s most fascinating stories, buried underground for nearly 2,000 years.

DIG is located in the former St Saviour’s Church, in St Saviourgate, close to Whip-Ma-Whop-Ma-Gate, York’s shorted street, and a five-minute walk from Jorvik Viking Centre.

Cressida Cowell: the back story

Children’s Laureate from 2019 to 2022, Cressida Cowell MBE is the author-illustrator of the How To Train Your Dragon, spin-off series How To Train Your Dragon School, The Wizards Of Once and the Which Way Round The Galaxy series. She has sold more than 16 million books worldwide in 46 languages.

How To Train Your Dragon has been turned into an Academy Award-nominated billion-dollar DreamWorks Animation and Universal film and TV series.

Ambassador for the National Literacy Trust for more than 20 years, she is a patron of Read For Good, the Children’s Media Foundation and the Woodland Trust and serves on the Council of the Society of Authors.

Honorary fellow of Keble College, Oxford, she has an honorary doctorate from the University of Brighton. Her  numerous prizes include the Blue Peter Book Award, Ruth Rendell Award for Championing Literacy and Hay Festival Medal for Fiction.

She grew up in London and on a small, uninhabited island off the west coast of Scotland. Aged 59, she now lives in Hammersmith, London, with husband Simon (no, not the pop music mogul), three children and dogs Zero and Pigeon.

Posted on

Could Jorvik Viking Centre, DIG and Barley Hall visitor attractions reopen on July 4?

Back on track? Plans are under way for Jorvik Viking Centre to reopen in July

JORVIK Viking Centre, DIG: An Archaeological Adventure and Barley Hall are developing plans for re-opening, as soon as government Covid-19 advice deems it safe to do so. 

So much so that bookings are being taken for time slots from July 4, subject to governmental rubber-stamping.

As the summer season looms ever closer, the team at the three York attractions is exploring ways to make them accessible within social-distancing guidelines, including a move towards pre-booked visits only and extended opening hours over the summer.

A tentative re-opening is being planned for York’s retail sector from the start of June, prompting the director of attractions for York Archaeological Trust, Sarah Maltby, to hope there will be “the critical mass of visitors for attractions to open in July”. Albeit this would be a somewhat different experience for visitors, taking into account requirements for cleaning and social distancing.

“Nobody really knows how people will react post-lockdown, but the best guidance we’re getting from the industry suggests that local people will stay close to home, with those living in tourism hotspots welcoming friends and relatives for short breaks,” says Sarah.

“Our own research shows people keen to return as soon as it is deemed safe to do so, and also if they are confident that attractions can provide a socially distanced experience, so we’re adapting our operating plans accordingly to manage low levels of visitor flow where this can be maintained.

DIG: An Archaeological Adventure: Plans to introduce enhanced series of presentations, protective equipment in the digging pits and more to see within the gallery spaces

“It is challenging, especially with indoor attractions, but we are no strangers to challenging circumstances and have a brilliant team who come up with innovative solutions to maintain great visitor experiences.”

One important change will be a move towards pre-booked visits only, in order to help control visitor flow and numbers, as well as extended hours over the key summer months.  “We will do away with the famous Jorvik queue around St Mary’s Square with clearly designated time slots for a limited number of visitors every 20 minutes,” says Sarah. 

“Within the building, in Coppergate, free-flow areas like the galleries will be more structured with presentations delivered by our Viking interpreters, rather than video content or handling sessions.”

Sarah continues: “The ride experience around the reconstructed Viking city will stay the same, albeit with increased cleaning regimes, and capsules will be exclusive to groups that arrive together.

“So we’re confident we can deliver a great experience where visitors can learn just as much as ever about the Vikings in York – in fact, some people will certainly prefer the far quieter experience, making it a great time for locals to rediscover the heritage on their own doorstep.”

Similar operational plans are being developed for Barley Hall, in Coffee Yard,  and DIG, at St Saviour’s Church, St Saviourgate, including relocating the Barley Hall shop to another part of the building, allowing greater space at the entrance for those visiting to wait for their time slots and creating a useful one-way system around the hall.

Barley Hall: Relocating the shop and creating a one-way system around the building

DIG will introduce an enhanced series of presentations, as well as protective equipment within the digging pits and more to see within the gallery spaces.

All sites will have sanitising hand gel available at regular points in the attraction, plus sneeze guards and floor markings. In addition, they have been implementing increased cleaning programmes since the pandemic first breached British shores, in particular fully disinfecting the attractions during the shutdown.

“As a charity, we rely on the income from our visitor attractions to support much of our research programmes, so we will do everything we can to keep these attractions open, operating and appealing, but safety has to come first,” says Sarah.

 “We are watching how the pandemic plays out, and will continue to adapt to the latest guidance and recommendations, so our visitors can be reassured that they can visit safely.” 

As trailed earlier, bookings are now being taken for time slots at the three attractions from July 4, pending confirmation from the Government that attractions and museums can open. 

Any updates and changes will be advised directly to ticket holders and shared across social media channels. In the meantime, virtual visitors can enjoy Discover From Home experiences on the Jorvik website: jorvikvikingcentre.co.uk/discover-from-home.