A BARROW museum is set to take a step back in time with the launch of a new exhibition.

Produced by Morecambe Bay Partnership, the Hidden Heritage exhibition will explore the hidden history and local stories of Morecambe Bay from September 8 to November 4.

The two month long exhibition at the Dock Museum will display stories and memories with examples of local archaeology, photographs and old film footage, which were uncovered by the Bay’s communities over the last four years.

Michelle Cooper, Headlands to Headspace Community & Heritage training officer at Morecambe Bay Partnership, said: "The exhibition is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate and share the achievements of hard working volunteers from all around Morecambe Bay who have been unearthing, recording and researching hidden stories and archaeology from around the Bay."

New digital technology, alongside traditional research techniques, has been used to unearth the Bay's lesser known maritime, industrial and archaeological stories.

Community oral history projects and maritime and archaeology surveys have also uncovered new facts, including unusual occupations like salt-making.

Visitors will also hear tales of a unique fishing heritage and how swimming has taken a special place in the community’s collective memory.

People with uniquely ‘Morecambe Bay’ life experiences will be featured in the exhibits, such as the Morecambe Aqua Lovelies, a popular synchronised swimming group from the 1960s, who performed at Jenny Browns Point in Silverdale.

The exhibition shares some of the research and projects undertaken over the last 4 years as part of the Partnership's Heritage Lottery funded Headlands to Headspace Scheme, a major initiative motivated by a community desire to protect and celebrate Morecambe Bay’s rich heritage.

Mrs Cooper said: "Since 2014 the Morecambe Bay Partnership Headlands to Headspace HLF scheme has enabled community training in heritage skills and delivered important heritage projects to accurately record aspects of the Bay’s heritage for future generations that are at risk of disappearing forever.

"The exhibition offers a way of showcasing just a tiny proportion of the amazing work that has been achieved so far and invites people to delve into some of the extraordinary material we have been collecting."

The exhibition's use of 'digitial digging' maps out archaeological sites hidden under the surface of the ground, and has revealed new information about the Bay, including sites at Warton Crag, Gleaston Castle and Walney Island.

In Gleaston, over 600 overlapping images were used to understand how the castle was first built and the understand the damage caused by vegetation.

The exhibition will travel to Lancaster Maritime Museum later in November until February 2019.