A major archaeological research project aimed at uncovering the mining heritage of the North Pennines, going back to the Roman era, is underway.
Over the next three years, English Heritage’s Research Department is conducting a programme of archaeological fieldwork in collaboration with the North Pennines AONB Partnership to scour 300 square kilometres of Alston Moor looking for evidence of the past and developing future conservation priorities.
The North Pennines is one of the most intensely mined landscapes in Britain. Its landscapes are renowned for their geology and wild, natural beauty, but much of what is seen today has been shaped by past generations of lead-miners who have lived and farmed here, exploiting the rich mineral resources.
Project Manager Stewart Ainsworth, from English Heritage’s Research Department, said: “The impact of mining on the landscape from the Roman period onwards has never been systematically researched by archaeologists. The moors and fields of this area are littered with abandoned structures, humps and hollows which provide ghostly reminders of the industrial past, but only a few scattered earthworks and finds have remained from the times before the large-scale changes imposed by lead-mining in the 18th and 19th centuries.
“There are hints that the landscape was being settled and exploited even before the Roman invaders built their magnificent fort at Whitley Castle near Alston. What other remains of past lives have left their imprint in the remote hills and valleys?
“This major new project will deliver much better understanding of the development of the landscape, settlements and buildings we see today and help to identify issues which threaten their survival. It will include the development of new archaeological research methods for discovering, recording and investigating sites, and identifying threats to them.”
As well as careful observation and mapping on the ground, new methods of discovery and analysis are being used, including radar imagery captured by specially equipped aircraft and satellites. The landscape around Alston has been 3-dimensionally radar-mapped, and sites of particular potential interest will now be subjected to detailed ground survey. A survey at the Roman fort at Whitley Castle near Alston has already revealed evidence of an unusual village outside its gates as well as the discovery that the defences of the fort were abandoned while they were still being dug.
From April 2010, opportunities will be available for local people to take an active part in the research with community engagement being coordinated by the North Pennines AONB Partnership office. AONB Historic Environment Officer, Paul Frodsham, said: “Traditionally, the public have been consumers of a heritage researched and presented by ‘experts’; from now on, we want local people to play an active role in the archaeology of the North Pennines, helping to research and celebrate what is after all their heritage.”
Full training in a range of archaeological techniques will be on offer. Anyone interested in helping with the Alston Moor project or projects elsewhere in the North Pennines, is invited to contact Paul Frodsham at the AONB office on 01388 528801 or email him on pfrodsham@northpeninesaonb.org.uk. There will also be several public events at which the results of the Alston Moor project will be presented and discussed; these will be widely publicised and will be open to all.
