Barrowford, Lancashire
The Hyndburn Mayor, Cllr Tim O’Kane and MP for Hyndburn, Graham Jones, launched Stanhill’s new heritage trail today. Stanhill Methodist Church was packed with heritage buffs and local people. Richard Hooper of Stanhill Residents led the proceedings which included a talk about James Hargreaves and the Spinning Jenny, a slideshow, some short speeches and a close…
Our day started with a slight twist. Having finished our pre walk meeting in the Heritage Centre Café (aka The Office) – we were invited to take a look at the newly renovated cruck framed barn. This has gone from an agricultural use to a marital one. Today it was being bedecked for a wedding…
Post excavation news – I have started the conservation of the bones from the dig. The first stage of the work was to remove the soil carefully from the bone. This was a slow painstaking process and somewhat frustrating as the bone is very soft & fragmentary. The next stage is to allow the bone…
Final day & it was spent backfilling the trenches – many thanks to Pam, Mike, Fiona, Steven, Idris, & Rhiannon for their help. The image above is the filled T2 & the series of images are of the various stages of backfilling T1. Few little things to ask those of you who attended – 1)…
Final full day of digging today, we were a small but perfectly formed crew, and the sun continued to shine upon the righteous. Before we started digging I took some photos (header image & below) of some of the artificial looking shapes that the sandstone off the site splits into naturally. Trench 2 was left…
Today the weather was scorchio! And there were plenty of people out to dig under little fluffy clouds (header image & below). Things were happening in both trenches today & our trainees are learning fast. Trench 2 has had the slab lined feature cleaned up (see above – & below with approximate alignment of the…
The weather played another blinder today. On the way to the site today I mused that for the last three days the Find Of The Day had been won by people on the first day of their first dig. Yet by early afternoon it looked to be going to a particularly nice sherd of Staffordshire…
Another vigorously breezy yet sunny day with lots of enthusiastic diggers helping out. Trench 2 has revealed what may be the first proper structure (not counting the pet cairn in T1). If you look in the photo above its the top of the question mark. Two slabs have apparently been set on end and packed…
It was a bit of a wild start to the day – the fertilizer sack I was a using as a toboggan (whilst waiting for the others) on the steep slope of the dam wall kept trying to blow away. However once on site we were nicely sheltered and above the gods tried to come…
We were joined today by some budding future diggers who all produced some interesting stuff. Find of the day went to a rather sweet little suspended weight (top row 2cnd right in the pic below) – possibly from a clock. More Victoriana today, including some more cranberry glass, part of a commerative tankard, & a…
The sun warmed us today we continued clearing back to the context discovered at the end of yesterday. We were joined by a few debutant diggers both young & older (see below). One of our young diggers found our largest piece of metal to date. Its a …. thing. While the rate of finds has…
Broke the ground on the new dig today – loads of Victorian pot in the top soil – down to our first proper context by day end. The dig will be open until next weekend 10:30 am to 3 pm (at least) each day (unless overly inclement). So please feel free to wander along for…
At the Annual General Meeting of The Friends of Pendle Heritage held on Wednesday, 25th May, the Chairman, David Morris, gave notice that he was not seeking re-election due to unforeseen circumstances. Subsequently the meeting acknowledged the important contribution he has made to The Friends during his chairmanship and wished him well.The following officers were…
Well the kiln dig is finished – well the digging stuff out bit is. In classic archaeological fashion things revealed themselves as we ran out of time. However what we have found is the bowl & flue from the last firing (see pics), charcoal (hopefully dateable), and a tiny sherd of gritty ware pottery which…
A sudden flurry of snow didn’t deter visitors to Southfield Chapel and hamlet near Nelson organised by The Friends of Pendle Heritage on Wednesday 27th April. Believed to be one of only two remaining chapels of its type, John Wesley preached at this location several times in the late 1700’s whilst visiting his friend William…
We have about 10 more days to finish the kiln dig & things are hotting up (relatively speaking). The wall structure (above) seems to have been repaired at least twice. Note colour of the infill either side of the feature. We have lifted a lump of charcoal (below) from the reddish material. We will be…
Trip to Alnwick 11/12/13th April 2016 The coach (from Hodgsons as usual but without our usual driver Ian) left promptly from opposite the Malt Kiln in Barrowford at 8.30 am on Monday 11th April. We drove to Piercebridge where we had coffee/tea and moreish shortbread biscuits at the George Hotel, a 16th century coaching inn…
Welcome to the first Pendle’s Hidden Valley blog of 2016. The first fieldwalk – around Admergill (thank you Brian & Richard) – takes place this Saturday & we have already been digging up at the Craggs kiln site. Behind the scenes things have been happening too. Lynn H has been doing sterling work raising funds…
Pitches Available for Barrowford’s Market DayA combined Farmer’s, Craft and Car Boot Market… why not book a pitch for Barrowford’s Market Day at Holmfield House Community Centre. See below for details…
Click Here for the latest on the Brierfield Mills regerneation prject.
