Digging into the past

Staff working on our new interactive Castle Creatures experience have been digging into the past to make way for modern technology.

A water supply, drains and IT link have been installed as part of a live bat display within the medieval castle walls, and workers had to dig up a section of the courtyard to join existing utilities.   DZG Head of Media and Communications, Jill Hitchman, said: “We followed a path that we knew had been previously disturbed in the last century but had Birmingham archeologist Richard Cherrington (pictured) on site throughout the whole process just in case there was a significant find.   “However, as the route followed a Tarmac path and lawned area, and we dug down just 60cm, we came across solely modern substrates which was what Richard had predicted.”     CASTLE CREATURES, which is due to open Easter 2015, will tell the story of the Earl of Dudley’s family, explain the history of the castle and house a series of animal exhibits showing how medieval folk lived in close proximity with species, such as rats and bats, as part of everyday life.