A brochure chronicling the history of the Crowfoot family and their links to the town of Beccles has been unveiled by a group of sixth form students.

Beccles & Bungay Journal: Harry Lindow and Sam Kenward with their brochure.Harry Lindow and Sam Kenward with their brochure. (Image: Archant)

Sam Kenward, Lauren Peach, Lucy Howson, Lucy Allington and Harry Lindow, who all study at Sir John Leman High School, spent 18 months researching “The Crowfoots of Beccles”.

It was part of a project which involved six schools in Norfolk and Suffolk with the aim of encouraging students to understand the relevance of the history of their own towns and its relationship to today and the future.

Time Team, Your Town was a project set up by the Centre of East Anglian Studies at the University of East Anglia (UEA) and the students were given the opportunity to research a topic relating to their town which they were interested in.

The Sir John Leman history students chose the Crowfoot family and explored how the past, present and future correlate and how this story could be told to current residents and visitors to the town.

They began by researching the life of Nobel Prize winner Dorothy Crowfoot Hodgkin, who has both a road and school in Beccles named after her.

They also examined the impact the family has had on the town over the past 300 years, including mayorships, the development of the hospital and changes in medicine, and how that legacy has been brought into the present.

The school said that, as a result of the project, the students now have a greater understanding of the relevance of history to their lives and have developed key skills that will prepare them for university life and future work applications.

The brochure is now available to buy at Beccles Books, Country Cards and Beccles Museum.

One of the students, Sam Kenward, said: “We are pleased that we now have something to show for the hard work we have put in.

“It’s brilliant that we have produced something of local interest which can raise awareness of the impact this remarkable family have had on Beccles.

“Special thanks go to Janna De Vere Green and Peter Crowfoot and, in particular, to John Crowfoot.

“Their assistance has been invaluable to the completion of this project.”

Is your school taking part in a special event or an unusual project? Email lynn.crombie@archant.co.uk or call 01502 712060 to speak to a reporter.