REPORT ON NOVEMBER MEETING
26/09/11 15:32
The Alston Moor Historical Society is well aware that there is a wide diversity of local history riches, sites and features found within the boundary of the Moor. However, perhaps the full extent of this bounty is not always fully realised from a local perspective and it sometimes takes an external source to highlight the abundance of these riches. This became very clear at the November meeting when Stewart Ainsworth gave the Society an update on the Miner-Farmer project, which includes the Roman fort of Whitley Castle. Stewart worked for Ordnance Survey in the Alston area earlier in his career and is therefore very familiar with the landscape. He is now Senior Investigator for English Heritage and along the way has become a TV celebrity, bringing his infectious enthusiasm to all matters archaeological.
English Heritage wished to earmark two projects for major research, one in the south and the other in the north. It is perhaps no surprise to learn that the choice for the south is Stonehenge. What is perhaps more surprising is that the other is on Alston Moor and has been entitled the Farmer-Miner Project. Stewart had been attracted to the area in those years with his previous employers and is aware that very little archaeological work of any significance has taken place in the past i.e. it is virtually virgin territory.
For the purposes of this survey the area from Whitley Castle in the north to Nenthead/Garrigill in the south, has been divided into one kilometre square plots and the intention will be to examine each of these in great detail. There is a team of 15 people who will spend 3 years on this project, although only four are ‘hands on’ on the ground. The use of computer and camera technology will make the basic work much quicker and easier. Aerial photography using LiDAR gives detailed imagery of every part of the area being surveyed. This process uses pulses that take shots from above, but by varying the pulses an image at varying levels can be taken at increments of approx. 6 inches. The last pulse will strip away all vegetation, etc., and will show nothing but the bare land, revealing all the humps , bumps and lumps which would otherwise be hidden.
The work has already started, four sectors having been surveyed, and the results are quite spectacular. It was known that there was one monument (archaeological feature) in a particular sector, but after the aerial scanning it is clear that there are actually over 300 – in one square kilometre! It is anticipated that this theme will be repeated in each cell, although the number of ‘scores’ will vary quite widely. The aim is to create, for the first time, an accurate record of the number of monuments on the Moor. The area covered is today regarded as being bleak and inhospitable yet there is plenty of evidence of human settlement going back to pre-history and the Bronze Age. There was almost certainly a thriving agricultural landscape, including the growing of cereal crops. It is difficult to envisage this using our modern perceptions of what can or cannot be done.
The jewel in the crown of this project is Whitley Castle, a Roman fort which has been virtually undisturbed for some 2000 years. Some organic material has been removed from the middens in times past, revealing well preserved Roman leather shoes and other fabrics, and a few artefacts have been removed from the temple site near the main fort, but nothing else has been touched. This is in stark contrast to nearby Hadrians Wall which has been extensively excavated and may have little more to offer. Whitley is regarded as the best preserved fort in the Roman Empire and has many unique features not found elsewhere. It has a diamond shaped footprint to allow for it being built on top of a mound, rather than flat land. This placing allowed it to dominate the landscape and was a strategic part of the Roman defence strategy.
The location appears to be in the middle of nowhere but at the time of building it was placed upon a significant settlement. There is evidence that this extensive vicus surrounding the fort pre-dates the fort and probably dates back to prehistoric times. It was on the main supply route to Hadrians Wall, the Maidens Way, which feeds into the fort by two modern style slip roads, one from the north and the other from the south, thus allowing traffic to by-pass the fort, if necessary.
The findings of the survey may well provide some interesting facts about lead mining and there are indications that this was being carried out in the Bronze Age. There is evidence of dwellings adjacent to lead workings and presumably this is not merely coincidence. There is evidence of mine adits in many places and perhaps a new light will be thrown on the history of mining in the North Pennines.
Whilst this is all very exciting, it should be remembered that this survey is designed to identify and locate monuments at ground level. There will be no excavation or disturbance of the terrain. The eagerly awaited results will be published as a booklet at the close the project. However it is safe to assume that there will be regular news of the work in the interim. The Society is fully supportive of the project and has offered to provide any required help.
NEXT MEETING
Our Christmas Special will have a WW11 theme and the wearing of period dress is encouraged! A prize will be given to the most appropriate effort! There will be community singing of WW11 songs and Christmas carols, music from guest star Les Wallace, a WW11 based quiz, readings and a show of WW11 photographs. Mince pies and mulled wine with be served. Proceeds from admission and a raffle will go to Help for Heroes.
The meeting starts at 7.30 pm in the Masonic Hall on Wednesday 2nd December.
English Heritage wished to earmark two projects for major research, one in the south and the other in the north. It is perhaps no surprise to learn that the choice for the south is Stonehenge. What is perhaps more surprising is that the other is on Alston Moor and has been entitled the Farmer-Miner Project. Stewart had been attracted to the area in those years with his previous employers and is aware that very little archaeological work of any significance has taken place in the past i.e. it is virtually virgin territory.
For the purposes of this survey the area from Whitley Castle in the north to Nenthead/Garrigill in the south, has been divided into one kilometre square plots and the intention will be to examine each of these in great detail. There is a team of 15 people who will spend 3 years on this project, although only four are ‘hands on’ on the ground. The use of computer and camera technology will make the basic work much quicker and easier. Aerial photography using LiDAR gives detailed imagery of every part of the area being surveyed. This process uses pulses that take shots from above, but by varying the pulses an image at varying levels can be taken at increments of approx. 6 inches. The last pulse will strip away all vegetation, etc., and will show nothing but the bare land, revealing all the humps , bumps and lumps which would otherwise be hidden.
The work has already started, four sectors having been surveyed, and the results are quite spectacular. It was known that there was one monument (archaeological feature) in a particular sector, but after the aerial scanning it is clear that there are actually over 300 – in one square kilometre! It is anticipated that this theme will be repeated in each cell, although the number of ‘scores’ will vary quite widely. The aim is to create, for the first time, an accurate record of the number of monuments on the Moor. The area covered is today regarded as being bleak and inhospitable yet there is plenty of evidence of human settlement going back to pre-history and the Bronze Age. There was almost certainly a thriving agricultural landscape, including the growing of cereal crops. It is difficult to envisage this using our modern perceptions of what can or cannot be done.
The jewel in the crown of this project is Whitley Castle, a Roman fort which has been virtually undisturbed for some 2000 years. Some organic material has been removed from the middens in times past, revealing well preserved Roman leather shoes and other fabrics, and a few artefacts have been removed from the temple site near the main fort, but nothing else has been touched. This is in stark contrast to nearby Hadrians Wall which has been extensively excavated and may have little more to offer. Whitley is regarded as the best preserved fort in the Roman Empire and has many unique features not found elsewhere. It has a diamond shaped footprint to allow for it being built on top of a mound, rather than flat land. This placing allowed it to dominate the landscape and was a strategic part of the Roman defence strategy.
The location appears to be in the middle of nowhere but at the time of building it was placed upon a significant settlement. There is evidence that this extensive vicus surrounding the fort pre-dates the fort and probably dates back to prehistoric times. It was on the main supply route to Hadrians Wall, the Maidens Way, which feeds into the fort by two modern style slip roads, one from the north and the other from the south, thus allowing traffic to by-pass the fort, if necessary.
The findings of the survey may well provide some interesting facts about lead mining and there are indications that this was being carried out in the Bronze Age. There is evidence of dwellings adjacent to lead workings and presumably this is not merely coincidence. There is evidence of mine adits in many places and perhaps a new light will be thrown on the history of mining in the North Pennines.
Whilst this is all very exciting, it should be remembered that this survey is designed to identify and locate monuments at ground level. There will be no excavation or disturbance of the terrain. The eagerly awaited results will be published as a booklet at the close the project. However it is safe to assume that there will be regular news of the work in the interim. The Society is fully supportive of the project and has offered to provide any required help.
NEXT MEETING
Our Christmas Special will have a WW11 theme and the wearing of period dress is encouraged! A prize will be given to the most appropriate effort! There will be community singing of WW11 songs and Christmas carols, music from guest star Les Wallace, a WW11 based quiz, readings and a show of WW11 photographs. Mince pies and mulled wine with be served. Proceeds from admission and a raffle will go to Help for Heroes.
The meeting starts at 7.30 pm in the Masonic Hall on Wednesday 2nd December.
Summer 2011
26/07/11 15:27
Please forgive me for calling this a SUMMER newsletter as the weather has largely fallen well short of what we had expected, or hoped for. Nevertheless we are now well into August which means not only that Autumn is approaching, but also that September will bring the first monthly meeting of the Society’s new season. The following notes will give information on developments within the Society and also some details of what we can look forward to in the next season.
AGM
At the AGM in April the existing Committee was re-elected. In addition jeff Rogers was also elected and he has offered to provide technical support including upgrading the website and using his digital projector at monthly meeting talks where required. 0ther issues agreed are covered in the following notes.
MONTHLY MEETINGS
The committee has reviewed the frequency and timing of meetings, especially taking into consideration the bad weather of recent winters. It has been decided NOT to hold meetings in January and February but we will arrange for a meeting in July by way of redressing the balance.
Next seasons programme has been arranged and hopefully it will be enjoyed be members. Bookings have to be made up to 18 months in advance but if anyone has any requests for topics please let me know – but remember that we are booked up many months ahead.
MEMBERSHIP FEES
In view of the reduced number of meetings and the generosity of many speakers in the past year who have declined to take a fee, we have been able to reduce the annual fee to £8. Payments will be welcomed at the September meeting.
FUTURE MEETINGS
A full list of topics and speakers will be shown on the membership cards to be issued on payment of subscriptions. The September talk is entitled ‘MY FAMILY AND OTHER ANCESTORS’ and will give advice on how research into family history can be conducted. To give ‘hands-on’ examples of procedures, the Church of St. Augustine’s has kindly allowed us to borrow their parish records for the evening. Subsequent meetings include talks on Pubs in Cumbria, Gunpowder production in Cumbria and Romans in Britain.
WEBSITE
Since Johan left for France our website has fallen into disrepair. We are tying to bring it back into good order and have enlisted the help of our new Committee member Jeff Rogers. However we are having some trouble in getting the codes required to gain access to the site and our proposed re-launch target of September will not be met. Despite this we are still hoping to be back on-line as soon as possible.
ROUND THE COUNTY DAY
Every year the ASSOCIATION OF NORTHUMBERLAND LOCAL HISTORY SOCIETIES arranges a visit to a Society member and we have been invited to host the event for 2012. We have, of course, accepted and a programe will be put together over the next few months. The date will be Sunday, the 24th June 2012. We will be asking for volunteers to help on the day and details will follow nearer the time.
1000 YEAR LEASES
Ray Macro has arranged a presentation/talk on Saturday the 3rd September at 2.00 in the Masonic Hall, covering the signing of the 1000 year leases and the Hilton family. The admission fee is £2. The signing was 400 years ago to the day and the speaker will be Michael Bute of the Sunderland Society of Antiquities. The event has not been organized by our Society but we have agreed to help out where necessary. We are looking for 5 or 6 volunteers to help with collecting admission fees, making tea/coffee and general administration. Will anyone who can help please contact Alastair as soon as possible?
PROJECTS FOR MEMBER PARTICIPATION
We tend to be a passive group, but the Committee feels that members should be given the opportunity of becoming actively involved in specific projects and at the September meeting Alastair will give details of projects in which member might be interested. Given sufficient response follow up presentations can be arranged for interested parties.
LOWTHER CASTLE AND GARDENS
The Society has been asked to publicise the re-opening of the Castle and 130 acres of gardens following a £9M refurbishment. Further details can be found on the Lowther Castle and Gardens Trust website.
The committee looks forward to seeing you in September and hope that we will have a successful and enjoyable season
LAURENCE A LAW
Secretary
AGM
At the AGM in April the existing Committee was re-elected. In addition jeff Rogers was also elected and he has offered to provide technical support including upgrading the website and using his digital projector at monthly meeting talks where required. 0ther issues agreed are covered in the following notes.
MONTHLY MEETINGS
The committee has reviewed the frequency and timing of meetings, especially taking into consideration the bad weather of recent winters. It has been decided NOT to hold meetings in January and February but we will arrange for a meeting in July by way of redressing the balance.
Next seasons programme has been arranged and hopefully it will be enjoyed be members. Bookings have to be made up to 18 months in advance but if anyone has any requests for topics please let me know – but remember that we are booked up many months ahead.
MEMBERSHIP FEES
In view of the reduced number of meetings and the generosity of many speakers in the past year who have declined to take a fee, we have been able to reduce the annual fee to £8. Payments will be welcomed at the September meeting.
FUTURE MEETINGS
A full list of topics and speakers will be shown on the membership cards to be issued on payment of subscriptions. The September talk is entitled ‘MY FAMILY AND OTHER ANCESTORS’ and will give advice on how research into family history can be conducted. To give ‘hands-on’ examples of procedures, the Church of St. Augustine’s has kindly allowed us to borrow their parish records for the evening. Subsequent meetings include talks on Pubs in Cumbria, Gunpowder production in Cumbria and Romans in Britain.
WEBSITE
Since Johan left for France our website has fallen into disrepair. We are tying to bring it back into good order and have enlisted the help of our new Committee member Jeff Rogers. However we are having some trouble in getting the codes required to gain access to the site and our proposed re-launch target of September will not be met. Despite this we are still hoping to be back on-line as soon as possible.
ROUND THE COUNTY DAY
Every year the ASSOCIATION OF NORTHUMBERLAND LOCAL HISTORY SOCIETIES arranges a visit to a Society member and we have been invited to host the event for 2012. We have, of course, accepted and a programe will be put together over the next few months. The date will be Sunday, the 24th June 2012. We will be asking for volunteers to help on the day and details will follow nearer the time.
1000 YEAR LEASES
Ray Macro has arranged a presentation/talk on Saturday the 3rd September at 2.00 in the Masonic Hall, covering the signing of the 1000 year leases and the Hilton family. The admission fee is £2. The signing was 400 years ago to the day and the speaker will be Michael Bute of the Sunderland Society of Antiquities. The event has not been organized by our Society but we have agreed to help out where necessary. We are looking for 5 or 6 volunteers to help with collecting admission fees, making tea/coffee and general administration. Will anyone who can help please contact Alastair as soon as possible?
PROJECTS FOR MEMBER PARTICIPATION
We tend to be a passive group, but the Committee feels that members should be given the opportunity of becoming actively involved in specific projects and at the September meeting Alastair will give details of projects in which member might be interested. Given sufficient response follow up presentations can be arranged for interested parties.
LOWTHER CASTLE AND GARDENS
The Society has been asked to publicise the re-opening of the Castle and 130 acres of gardens following a £9M refurbishment. Further details can be found on the Lowther Castle and Gardens Trust website.
The committee looks forward to seeing you in September and hope that we will have a successful and enjoyable season
LAURENCE A LAW
Secretary