Tag: Archaeology

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Open Gardens Archaeology Dig – 20 June 2015

Heritage Open Gardens and Strawberry Tea Archaeology Dig – 20 June 2015

The forecast was wrong – the sun arrived just after 4pm, when I was trying to type this with one hand desensitised by at least three hits of nasty Nelly the nettle. Aah the hazards of extreme archaeology.

IMAG6776-Copy_procA few months ago the archaeology group were invited to do a dig as part of Heritage Open Gardens and Strawberry Tea day. We eventually plumped for a trench over the possible course of the local stream before it was diverted around the walled garden. When we initially saw the site it seemed open & friendly – the greener photo shows what greeted us on the day. We cleared a path into the primordial vegetation then chopped out a clearing (ouch ouch ouch) and opened a 1 metre square trench. Continue reading “Open Gardens Archaeology Dig – 20 June 2015”

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May Excavation – Craggs 2 & 2b

Our most recent excavation took place over 2 days in May at an altitude of approximately 1000 feet. The purpose was to determine the construction method of the old bank & ditch features that divide parts of the site. Pre-dig analysis had determined the features to be at least 300 years old, this figure has been shifted back at least another few centuries as a result of the dig. Thought he site yielded no finds per se, the dig revealed considerable care had gone into the building of the excavated feature, so much so that we are now having to re-evaluate its significance. Further research is now underway, looking in particular for parallels in other upland areas of Britain. It is too early to do anything other than speculate but there are strong indications that there may once have been crop rearing on this wind blasted site. Hard to believe given how exposed the area now appears. One might argue that the views are beautiful and ample reward in themselves.

Continue reading “May Excavation – Craggs 2 & 2b”

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Hidden Valley Fieldwalk, 6 June 2015

Pendle’s Hidden Valley – Water Meetings Field Walk – 6 June 2015

In short, a highly productive day – quality not quantity.
Only four of us did the walk, including a new member – Mike W. We are very pleased to welcome some new ideas & fresh set of eye, and being few in number we had the opportunity to get to know Mike & vice versa.
We started from Blacko Bar Road in Roughlee then walked up to the old ridge road on the southern edge of the valley and followed this until it dropped down through the quarries & Hudderston Wood onto Water Meetings. Here we had our picnic in the summer sun & speculated on the cavortings that would have been taking place when the area was a playground for the Victorian inhabitants of the nearby mill towns.
After lunch we skirted other side of the valley from whence we came. When we got back to Blacko Bar Road David & Richard took the short cut back to the start while new boy Mike & I crossed the road & into the fields opposite. We then followed the line of the old road back to Roughlee Hall & thus to the end.
Continue reading “Hidden Valley Fieldwalk, 6 June 2015”

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Pendle’s Hidden Valley – 22nd March

Here is a very quick précis of a short day before we got rained off.  We will do the planned walk next time.
After separating from out barn recording friends at the Pendle Heritage Centre, four of us did a short walk to the spot east of Sabden where Read History Group found slag on Tuesday.
Having looked at the site, it looks highly likely that we have evidence of our third bloomery in the valley.  The site may be more complete than our excavated Old House bloomery, though probably more disturbed.  An initial series of test pits some time in the future would be useful rather than a full scale dig.
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Pendle’s Hidden Valley – Field Reconnaissance 8th February 2014

Pendle Heritage – Archaeology Group

Pendle’s Hidden Valley Field Reconnaissance 8th February 2014

The third field reconnaissance session for the Pendle’s Hidden Valley project took place on Saturday 8th February 2014 but in the face of dire weather forecasts, understandably, only 4 stalwarts braved the elements. In the end, despite strong winds we were relatively lucky with the conditions. Continue reading “Pendle’s Hidden Valley – Field Reconnaissance 8th February 2014”

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Pendle’s Hidden Valley – Field Reconnaissance 11th January 2014

Portfield (3)The second field reconnaissance session for the Pendle’s Hidden Valley project took place on Saturday 11th January 2014 and was well attended with 10 stalwarts setting out from Whalley Golf Club (who kindly allowed us to use their car park).

We set out south along Clerk Hill towards Portfield and it was pointed out that this road  had been artificially sunken as part of the landscaping of the area for Clerk Hill (the house) in order that the view from the house would not be spoiled by seeing people on the road.

At Portfield we assessed the view of the area from a public footpath in the field adjacent to the fort and noted that the fort commanded a 360 deg field of view with a particularly good view back up the Sabden Valley.