The Forest Town Nature Conservation Group will be an holding a unique exhibition, hosted by Mansfield Museum, on Saturday, 14th October, from 10am – 1pm.

The exhibition, which will take place in the Museum’s Arcade, comes at the end of a year-long project made possible by the Heritage Lottery Fund.

The event will celebrate the amazing 700-year history of Forest Town’s Spa Ponds Nature Reserve, also known locally as Gara Ponds, and the site’s journey from being owned by Kings, then Dukes, then farmers, and now the whole community.

The Spa Ponds Heritage Project provided participants with training and guidance from historians, community archaeologists, an ancient tree recorder, and a geologist.

October’s exhibition will give the group an opportunity to share research findings to date, including discoveries made as part of the oral histories that were recorded, alongside the results of online research and visits to libraries and archives.

Those interested in the activities of the Forest Town Nature Conservation Group (FTNCG) can find out more at: http://www.foresttown.net/nature or by attending the FTNCG Meeting at Forest Town Arena on Wednesday, 4th October (7pm-9pm) to hear MBArchaeology’s Matt Beresford talk about the community archaeology results from Spa Ponds.

Commenting on the forthcoming exhibition, Mansfield Museum development officer Jodie Henshaw said: “Mansfield Museum is delighted to be involved in this project and is looking forward to finding out about the heritage of this well-loved local site”.

Jonathan Platt, head of HLF East Midlands, said: “Our Sharing Heritage programme helps local communities embark on a journey of discovery to find out more about an aspect of their area’s heritage. The Gara Ponds will be known to many in Mansfield, but few will be aware of their 700 year history and it’s great that this project has involved dozens of volunteers in revealing their untold stories.”