“If you go down to Town Park today, you’re sure of a big surprise …” – well, at least if you are a Halesworth resident or visitor and you keep your eyes peeled during mid to late August!  For this is the month in which The MALT Project – Halesworth’s best-kept secret – starts to make its appearance.

 For over 2 years now, Halesworth & District Museum, in partnership with New Cut Arts, has been raising funds, carrying out research and planning a dramatic uncovering of the town’s little known past as a significant contributor to East Anglia’s malting heritage.  From the outset, the project has sought to involve the Town Council, the Tourism Group, Halesworth in Bloom, The Millennium Green and New Reach working parties.  Major funding has come from the Heritage Lottery Fund with additional amounts from the County Council’s Locality Budget and the Halesworth & Blyth Valley Partnership.  Almost all of the design and execution of the project has been achieved by local crafts people and manufacturers.

 The results of this community collaboration are set to emerge in 3 stages over the next few months.  First is the creation of a MALT Trail with information panels (and more!) appearing in several key locations including the Market Place, Town Park and the Railway Station.  Next, to coincide with Halesworth’s 2^nd Heritage Open Weekend (8^th to 10^th September), will be the unveiling of the MALT Experience – an immersive space specially created within The Cut, itself an iconic maltings building.  At that time, printed guides to the Trail will become available.  Finally, we look forward to the creation of Halesworth MALT, a website that will be built up over the coming months as a repository for all the background research and educational materials that have been uncovered and created in the course of the project’s development.

 So join in, and let the ‘experience’ begin!

‘Community News’ and ‘Bugle’ – 1st Aug. 2017