From Hadrian’s Wall to urban Tyneside, our Archaeology Department have access to some of the best historical sites in the UK right on our doorstep. These last few months, they’ve been working incredibly hard to ensure that these remain accessible to all.

In a field where practical experience is crucial, our innovative team have been bringing Lindisfarne to our living rooms through a combination of Google Earth and some carefully crafted educational videos.

The virtual tours enabled excursions to take place in spite of lockdown restrictions and make it easier for students with caring responsibilities or mobility issues to attend.

Online tours

The adaptations allowed our Archaeology Department to ensure their memorable field trips remained front and centre of the popular Archaeology in Britain module.

The trips draw on existing research and the team worked closely with Archaeosoup – an educational video organisation founded by Durham alumnus Marc Barkman-Astles – to ensure they were to a high standard.

The virtual tours enabled excursions to take place in spite of lockdown restrictions and make it easier for students with caring responsibilities or mobility issues to attend.

No tour unturned

All students have responded positively to these changes and praised the fact they are able to remotely engage with these sites, retaining the ‘hands-on’ feel of the course.

Such is the success that our archaeology team has decided to move to a hybrid model for future teaching – retaining the online tours along with the original field trips.

With students welcomed to suggest new content for the future, this is the beginning of the virtual field trip story, not the end.