Research
Research Impact
Paston Footprints developed out of an AHRC funded 'Preserving Place' project (PI's Dr Karen Smyth, UEA, and Dr Andrew Power, Uni. of Southampton). Research was published on the social wellbeing benefits of heritage storytelling and community heritage projects. The impact of this research has resulted in innovations in multi-sector collaborations to preserve, interpret and experience Paston heritage, with over 60 organisations and hundreds of volunteers involved.
Practice-led Research
The project is also a practice-led research one, with studies concerning heritage storytelling methodologies, not least digital and Health Humanities storytelling.
Paston research
As a result, multiple untold Paston stories are now emerging. We promote some of these stories on our website: thisispaston This site allows exploration of the digitised Paston letters, with various research tools and detailed Paston people and places profiles. After your walk, if you are inspired to find out more, this is your portal to the 15th to 17th century Paston heritage.
Trade Books
We also encourage participants to create trade booklets and books, involving community researchers, poets, playwrights and essayists.
See below for project publications to date (there are many more in preparation, please revisit this page).
Project Publications
2023, K. Smyth, 'Life-records of the English Antiquarian John Fenn', Notes and Queries 70, 278-281.
2022, H. Maples, 'Touching Past Lives: The Limits of Evaluating Immersive Heritage Performance Audiences', Impacting Theatre Audiences, eds., D. Snyder-Young and M. Omasta, 2022, 14pp.
2022, R. Knee and K. Smyth, Paston Footprints, Norwich: Starfish. 21pp.
2022, M. Champion. 'Josiah Boydell's View of Paston Hall, Norfolk: new interpretations', Norfolk Archaeology 1.
2021, H. Maples (author, producer) and K. Smyth (dramaturg), 6 Paston Drama Heritage Trail Podcasts, www.pastonfootprints.co.uk
2020, R. Knee, 'The Paston Footprints Project: A focus on the potential of heraldry in bringing heritage to life', The Heraldry Gazette, n.s. 156, pp. 4-6.
2014-2020, The Paston Heritage Society Newsletter. Contains PHS research entries and creative interpretations. This Is Paston: The Paston Heritage Society Magazine
2017, K. Smyth, A. Power, R. Martin, 'Culturally Mapping Legacies of Collaborative Heritage Projects', Valuing Interdisciplinary Collaborative Research: Beyond Impact, eds., K. Facer and K. Phal, Policy Press, pp. 191-214. (Research impact publication - relates to methodology used in the Paston Footprints project)
2016. A. Power, K. Smyth, 'Heritage, Health and Place: The Legacies of Local Community-Based Heritage Conservation on Social Wellbeing', Health and Place, 39, 160-169. (Research Impact publication.)