Heritage and Archaeological Research Practice recently ran The Sports Heritage in Galashiels Project. They provided free training and activity sessions to let people learn about and share their memories of sports in Galashiels.
They showed volunteers how to access historical records easily and conduct research to identify previous sporting venues and activities in the local area. They organised walks for volunteers to identify and record local sports heritage sites, and they used the results of the research and walks to produce a brand new sports heritage walking trail for the town.
Those who couldn’t get involved with the activity sessions also gathered memories for an exhibition at the end of the project in Old Gala House to celebrate the sporting heritage of Galashiels.
Indoor research sessions were held at the Galashiels Library, and their outdoor walking sessions were fortunate enough to meet at and use space provided by Hike & Bike Hub, Galashiels.
To see what the project has uncovered, you can check out their interactive map here, download a digital copy of the new Sports Heritage Walking Trail here, and a digital version of their exhibition here.
The group still have leaflets of the walking trails and posters available. If you are a business that would like to host either of these, you can contact HARP here: https://www.harparchaeology.co.uk/home.
