Might a Sense of Place Approach Help the Public Connect to Brayford Pool’s Medieval Heritage?

Abstract

It is challenging for people to perceive a particular aspect of an area’s rich history when it is not obvious, prominent, or interpreted (Hunt, 2021). This article draws on and develops this assertion by establishing the importance of the Brayford Pool in the Medieval Period (1066–1540) and explores the challenges people face when perceiving the influence of this time period within the current landscape. The article uses the perception aspect of Sense of Place as a framework to suggest that these challenges may be overcome through shared authority and public curation. The article argues that this approach could help to re-establish the importance of the area during the medieval period. The article then considers how the principal of shared authority might be applied to create a public history project on the medieval history of the area, owned by the different communities who live, work, study, and engage in leisure activities on and around Brayford Pool. Finally, it considers the way in which this might impact positively on the other aspects of a Sense of Place: how people value a place, how people describe and interact with it, and the importance of its sustainability.