Our Volunteers Just Won a County-Wide Award – And They Deserve Every Bit of It
We’re absolutely delighted to share that Nene Valley 5000 – the official name of our three-year heritage programme – and shaped by volunteers at Stanwick Lakes, has been awarded Best Volunteer Project at the 2025 Northamptonshire Heritage Forum Awards.
It’s a huge honour – and a well-earned one.
Organised by the Northamptonshire Heritage Forum, the awards celebrate excellence across museums, archives and historic sites, with winners selected for the quality, impact and innovation of their work. The Best Volunteer Project category recognises outstanding achievements led by volunteers, including research, conservation, interpretation and public engagement.
The ceremony, attended by local government representatives, funders and sector leaders, highlights the very best of Northamptonshire’s heritage work. For Stanwick Lakes, it’s a proud moment to be recognised at that level – and even more meaningful because this project was planned, delivered and shaped by volunteers.
What was Nene Valley 5000 all about?
At its heart, the project asked a bold question: what happens when you hand over the planning, the tools and the trust to volunteers – and invite them to bring prehistory back to life?
The answer: over 8,000 hours of creativity, collaboration and discovery.
From 2022 to 2025, a team of over 40 volunteers shaped each part of this ambitious project. They didn’t just assist – they led. Researching, designing, making and sharing heritage experiences that invited the public into the Bronze and Iron Age world.
Together, they delivered four extraordinary initiatives:
- Barrow conservation: A Bronze Age burial mound on site was restored and brought back into focus, with volunteers undertaking vegetation clearance, interpretation development and historical research to rais awareness of its historical and cultural significance to visitors.
- Roundhouse construction: Volunteers built a (second) full-scale Iron Age roundhouse and granary using traditional methods and locally sourced materials – from coppiced hazel to hand-mixed daub. It now forms the centrepiece of our Iron Age Settlement.
- Replica Bronze Age boat Builds: Using replica ancient tools, volunteers carved and launched full-size dugout boats – an unforgettable process that gained national media attention and reconnected the site to its past. Supported by Dr. James Dilley and team from Ancient Craft.
- Textiles and dyeing: Using natural dyes and Iron Age looms, the team created beautiful and accurate textile samples, explaining ancient processes through hands-on sessions with schools and families. Partnered with the Northants Guild of Spinners, Weavers and Dyers.
What made this project different?
It wasn’t just the scale of what was built – though that was impressive. It was the ethos: volunteer-led at every level. Our team have made key decisions, delivered interpretation, led public events and supported each other with skill-sharing and mentorship.
Their work brought more than 6,000 people directly into contact with heritage – through hands-on sessions, school visits, open days, talks and press features. The final exhibition in May 2025 reflected not only on the past 40 years of archaeology at Stanwick Lakes, but also celebrated the future these volunteers helped build.
A lasting impact
The restored barrow, roundhouse, granary, textile work and Bronze Age boats remain as a physical legacy of the project. But more importantly, Nene Valley 5000 demonstrated what’s possible when people are given the opportunity to lead, experiment and share their passion for the past.
This award is for our volunteers. Every individual who gave their time, talent and heart to this project and the team. We couldn’t be prouder.
You can read more about the Nene Valley 5000 project, see photos and explore its legacy here: Stanwick Lakes Heritage – Bronze and Iron Age | Stanwick Lakes | Nature, Heritage, Adventure
