A community archaeology project run by the North Pennines AONB Partnership has been so successful that it has had the go-ahead to come up with new ideas for digging into the past – and organisers are looking to the public to suggest ancient mysteries they would like to solve.

North Pennines AONB Partnership archaeological dig at Westgate, Weardale © NPAP/Paul Frodsham

During 2011 the North Pennines AONB Partnership ran a pilot phase of its Altogether Archaeology project, which attracted more than 400 volunteers from all over the region.

The Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) has now awarded the AONB Partnership a grant to develop a programme of archaeological fieldwork and other events so that the volunteers can undertake more exciting work over the next three years.

Highlights of the pilot phase included excavations at Westgate Castle in Weardale, a survey of the splendid archaeological landscape of Holwick in Upper Teesdale, the survey and excavation at Muggleswick Grange near Castleside in County Durham, the investigation of a prehistoric burial site on Appleby golf course and the excavation of the Maiden Way Roman road near Alston, both in Cumbria.

The AONB Partnership’s Historic Environment Officer Paul Frodsham said: “Key to the success of the pilot project has been the fantastic commitment and enthusiasm of our community volunteers. Our recent day conference which was the culmination of the pilot project was one of the most enjoyable archaeological events I have ever attended.

Paul continued: “This work has been fascinating, but has also demonstrated the potential, and in some cases the need, for more work to further our understanding while also informing future landscape management.”

Working with the volunteers and numerous partners including English Heritage, Natural England, the Northumberland National Park Authority, and the Universities of Durham and Newcastle upon Tyne, Paul is devising a series of exciting ideas for the new project and looking at ways to bring the newly uncovered history of the North Pennines to new audiences. These will then go forward to the Heritage Lottery Fund for consideration.

Current fieldwork proposals include surveys and excavations to investigate:

• the first people who lived in the North Pennines after the end of the Ice Age 10,000 years ago
• the first farmers of about 6,000 years ago
• relations between Romans and native communities from the 1st to the early 5th centuries AD
• the mysterious centuries after the end of Roman rule and before the Norman Conquest of 1066
• The great hunting forests and deer parks of medieval times
• The origins and history of the North Pennines lead industry.

Paul said: “We’d really like to hear from people who have always been curious about a place near their village or town, which perhaps has a legend attached to it or has mysterious lumps and bumps in the ground which might have been an ancient settlement of some kind. Wherever possible, suggestions from the public will be worked into the project programme.

“We’re also planning events specifically for children, so that they can also get involved in exploring the North Pennines’ past.”

The project is open to everyone with an interest in the archaeology of the North Pennines, and attracts volunteers from Tyneside, Teesside and further afield as well as residents of the AONB’s towns and villages. New volunteers are always welcome, though the new project, if it secures the necessary funding, will not actually get underway until autumn this year.

Anyone who has any ideas for work they would like to see included within the project should contact Paul Frodsham during February at the AONB Partnership office in Stanhope on 01388 528801 or email pfrodsham@northpenninesaonb.org.uk

Photographs taken by Captain Scott on his final expedition to the South Pole have been saved for the nation thanks to £704,000 lottery grant.

Foundering in soft snow: Bowers' sledge team; Wilson pushing; Oates and PO Evans repairing, Beardmore Glacier, 13 December 1911. Pic SPRI

Thought to be lost for more than 70 years, the 109 photographs give a view of the Antarctic as seen through Captain Scott’s eyes as he documented the first part of his epic journey to the South Pole.

Subjects include his companions, the ponies and sledges, the scientific work they were undertaking and the breathtaking Antarctic landscape.

The Scott Polar Research Institute (SPRI) in Cambridge University purchased the images with support of the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF)

Professor Julian Dowdeswell, Director of the Scott Polar Research Institute, said: “Scott’s photographs bring to life, in vivid detail, his party’s sledging journey into the interior of Antarctica.

“From men and ponies struggling through deep snow, to panoramas of the Transantarctic Mountains, the images are very powerful.

“They are a superb complement to the Antarctic photographs of Herbert Ponting, which the Heritage Lottery Fund also helped us to acquire”.

It is 100 years this year since his expedition reached the South Pole.

Reunited with camera

Captain Scott was taught photography by the official expedition photographer, Herbert Ponting, and the collection charts his first attempts through to the remarkable images he captured on the first part of the Polar journey to the head of the Beardmore Glacier.

The photographs were printed in the Antarctic by members of the expedition team as they waited for his return from the Pole, and Captain Scott never saw them.

Thanks to a previous HLF award, the original 1,700 glass-plate negatives of Herbert Ponting’s photographs were bought by SPRI in 2004.

The acquisition of Scott’s own photographs brings the two collections together for the first time, making this the largest photographic record of the British Antarctic Expedition 1910 – 1912.

The purchase of the photographs by SPRI will allow the images to be reunited with Scott’s camera, which was given to the Institute by the late Lady Philippa Scott in 2008.

Once they have been fully conserved, the photographs will be digitised and made available online.

The Antarctic expedition

The British Antarctic (Terra Nova) Expedition was led by Captain Robert Falcon Scott RN with the twin objectives of being the first to reach the geographical South Pole and to undertake scientific research on the Antarctic environment.

Scott and four companions attained the pole on 17 January 1912, to find that a Norwegian team led by Roald Amundsen had preceded them by 34 days.

Scott’s entire party died on the return journey from the pole.

Some of their bodies, journals, and personal effects were discovered by a search party eight months later.

Captain Scott’s photographs were developed in the Antarctic by the geologist, Frank Debenham, who later became the founding Director of SPRI.

The images were returned to the UK by members of the expedition in 1913 and it was intended that they be used to illustrate books, reports and lectures; however, difficulties with establishing copyright meant that only a handful were ever used.

The First World War intervened and confusion over ownership was never resolved, any remaining negatives were lost and the prints passed to Herbert Ponting.

On Ponting’s death in 1935 the prints were sold to the photographic agency Popperfoto, who in turn sold them at auction in New York in 2001 and they have remained in private hands ever since.

The images were recently published in a book entitled ‘The Lost Photographs of Captain Scott’ by David Wilson, great-nephew of Edward Wilson who died with Scott.

A collection of oral history, photography and written stories examining the unique experience of Polish expats is to open in Worcester.

The project ‘From Exile to Freedom’ is created by Polish Expats Association in Birmingham and is funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund.

Tomasz Piotrowski, MIRA Project Coordinator for Worcestershire said “The exhibition portrays the new wave of Polish arrivals to the UK after the enlargement of the European Union in 2004.

“It also provides the historical context of previous Polish migrations to the British Isles with a special focus on the West Midlands region.”

The stories of young and old generations of Poles have been collected in order to present their experiences and socio-political context connected with their arrival to the new country.

The organisers have interviewed representatives of three different generations of emigrants: those who arrived to the Great Britain just after the Second World War, during the years of communist regime in Eastern Europe and those who arrived after 2004.

These stories give a unique insight into how the new community is being formed and the reasons of current and previous waves of Polish migrations to the UK.

‘From Exile to Freedom’ is written by the migrants themselves and is dedicated to them.

To gather these stories Polish Expats Association have been working with a group of young volunteers, who conducted interviews with members of the Polish community.

The project also portrays the process of community integration and sheds light on the rich and positive history of Polish presence in the UK.

The collected stories, photographic evidence and recorded interviews can be seen free of charge at the exhibition which is going to be shown at the Worcester Commandery from 15th Oct until 11th Nov or for more information visit www.fromexiletofreedom.org.uk

Lottery grants of almost £5m will enable the future of the former wartime code breaking site, Bletchley Park to be secured.

The investment will enable the restoration of iconic code breaking huts 1, 3 and 6 and create a world-class visitor centre and exhibition in the currently derelict Block C as soon as £1.7 million in match funding has been raised.

Not only will this development allow the conservation of buildings of highly-significant heritage value, it will considerably improve the educational offering and visitor experience at Bletchley Park, according to the Bletchley Park Trust.

Bletchley Park, home of the Codebreakers, is arguably one of Britain’s most important 20th century historical sites.

When the Codebreakers wrote to Churchill, in October 1941, starved of resources to do their essential work, Churchill immediately ordered, “Action this day!  Make sure they have all they want on extreme priority and report to me that this had been done”.

Exactly seventy years on it is resonant that the Heritage Lottery Fund are doing as Churchill asked.

Code breaking huistory

Bletchley Park helped to shape the course of the twentieth century by giving the allies a critical edge in WW2, and foreshadowing the technological revolution that was to follow.

Throughout the war, against seemingly impossible odds and in total secrecy, the Bletchley Park Codebreakers systematically broke what was the backbone of Germany’s communications cypher system – Enigma – and the even more complex cypher system used by Hitler and his High Command – Lorenz.

During its post-war years of secrecy and neglect, Bletchley Park and many of its codebreaking huts and blocks quietly descended into near-dereliction; today they welcome 130,000 visitors a year.

The ambition of the Bletchley Park Trust is to complete the restoration of the site, and to tell its story to the highest modern standards.

The late Professor Richard Holmes said, “The work here at Bletchley Park… was utterly fundamental to the survival of Britain and to the triumph of the West.  I’m not actually sure that I can think of very many other places where I could say something as unequivocal as that.  This is sacred ground.  If this isn’t worth preserving, what is?”

Carole Souter, Chief Executive of the Heritage Lottery Fund, said, “The complex story of Bletchley Park revolves around a group of dedicated men and women who quietly worked away with no expectation of public recognition.

“Now, more than sixty years later, the Trust will bring to life fascinating tales of the ground-breaking work that took place in this sprawling country estate.

“I cannot think of a better use of Heritage Lottery Fund money than to support this project and, in so doing, honour the memory of all who were involved.”

A north Cumbrian project is trying to find items of historical interest from north west Cumbria.

Milk churns saved from the scrap man

Researchers are aiming to create a portfolio of local heritage artefacts from the Solway Plain. These could include old photographs, farming implements, local folk culture and memories. Items could possibly go forward to an exhibition later.

Fieldwork is at an early stage, with the team taking photos and documenting any items brought to their attention.

The work is part of a project called the Solway Wetlands Landscape Partnership Scheme which is a partnership between the Solway Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and other organisations.

Alex Kaars Sijpesteijn, Solway Wetlands Development Officer, said: “ If you know of anyone who has artefacts and wouldn’t mind potentially letting them be in an exhibition please let me know.

“At the moment we are simply taking photos and notes so that when the time comes we know where they are.”

The project area runs from Allonby to Wigton to Kirkbampton to the western tip of Carlisle and up to the coast. It is a four year project funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund.

If you would like more information or have an item suitable for the research team, please contact the Solway Wetlands Development Officer on 016973 33055 or email Alexandra.Sijpesteijn@Allerdale.gov.uk.

Update

A drop-in session will be held at the Royal Oak, Moorhouse, Cumbria on Wednesday, 31 August 2011 between 6.30pm and 8.30pm.

The Old St Helen’s church at Ore, Hastings is set to be protected thanks to a £470,000 grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund.

Abandoned in 1869, the church was acquired by the Sussex Heritage Trust in 1991.

Old St Helen's church at Ore, Hastings - Pic HLF

The Trust hopes it will now be able to proceed with the conservation of the Grade II listed building.

Christopher Gebbie, the Chairman of Sussex Heritage Trust, added: ”This project represents the last opportunity to save this important monument for future generations.”

The project aims to safeguard  one of the oldest buildings in Hastings dating back to the 11th century.

Together with its surrounding 18th century churchyard, the site is considered to be locally and nationally significant with regard to Saxon and early Norman archaeological remains.

Containing some 80 tombs and undisturbed medieval foundations, the site is on the English Heritage ‘At Risk’ register and a Scheduled Ancient Monument.

Consolidation of the fabric of the remaining stonework to ensure long-term stability for the ruins and conserve the churchyard and its contents is one of the priorities for the team

A community archaeology project, new historical and ecological interpretation, and programmes for other local interest groups will now take place on site.

The Heritage Lottery fund grant to the Old St Helens Church Conservation Project is for 94% of the project cost.

A public exhibition of the plans for the Project will take place on Thursday 21st July from 7 to 8.30 pm at St Helen’s Church Hall, The Ridge, Hastings TN34 2RA.

The future of a Second World War submarine has been saved thanks to Heritage Lottery fund .

Staff and volunteers at the Royal Navy Submarine Museum now have a £3.4million confirmed award from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) to help save HMS Alliance, the only surviving WW2 era submarine that is the memorial to 5,300 British Submariners.

Artist's illustration showing how the completed HMS Alliance is expected to look. Pic: Royal Navy Submarine Museum

Stuart McLeod, Head of HLF South East, said: “This Heritage Lottery Fund investment will help transform this unique heritage treasure meaning it will still be around for years to come.”

HMS Alliance is listed in the UK’s historic ship’s register, sitting alongside the Cutty Sark, the Mary Rose, and HMS Victory in the Core Collection list, and she is the only remaining WW II submarine in the UK that is open to the public.

Designed during the war for service in the Middle East, she was launched in 1945, as victory was achieved. She then began a distinguished 28 year career until she retired as the centrepiece of the Submarine Museum.

The project is the First Sea Lord’s top naval heritage priority, and for good reason. Exposed to sea water over cradles by the Museum quayside, the outer structure of HMS Alliance has corroded so badly that parts are literally in danger of falling into the sea below in a rusting process that has proved hard to arrest due to difficulties of access.

As well as the physical conservation, at the heart of the project is a new education programme and dynamic interpretation scheme which will bring Alliance ‘back to life’ for all visitors.

Improvements will include dressing the accommodation spaces to reflect the decades of Alliance’s service from the 1940’s through to the 1970’s with interactive soundscapes that reflect how the submarine looked and felt whilst on operation.

The Museum will also be taking the project to the local community with an outreach programme featuring a range of fun and engaging events.

It is hoped that volunteers will play an important role in all these activities as the project aims to clock up to 2,500 hours of volunteer time over its life span.

Vice Admiral Sir Tim McClement, Chairman of the Royal Navy Submarine Museum, said: “As the memorial to all the submariners who have fought and died in service, it is so important that she is saved and brought to life for future generations to have the opportunity to understand and learn about “the silent service” that has been in operation for over 100 years protecting our nation.”

HRH Prince William of Wales is the Royal Patron of the HMS Alliance Appeal that aims to raise the £6.5 million that the conservation work is budgeted to cost.

Over £5.8 million in funds and pledges has now been raised, including the £3.4 million award by the Heritage Lottery Fund. A further £1.5 million is required for a new Alliance gallery.

For more information on HMS Alliance and how you can get involved, contact the HMS Alliance Appeal Office on 023 9251 0354 ext 244, or visit www.submarine-museum.co.uk.

Free guided tours of the excavation of an Iron Age hillfort in the North York Moors National Park are on offer on Sunday 29 and Monday 30 May 2011.

Archaeologists are currently carrying out a dig at Boltby Scar near Sutton Bank and people are invited to tour the site and hear from the team about what they’ve found.

Excavations have taken place on Boltby Scar on at least two occasions in the past, but virtually no information from these activities survives and in 1961 the hillfort was levelled by bulldozer.

The current dig is seeking to look at the condition of the site (including the extent of the 1961 damage) as well as to recover dating and environmental evidence which should help in interpreting the hillfort’s context in the wider landscape.

The area around Sutton Bank was an important site for Iron Age man, with defensive earthworks and another hillfort at Roulston Scar.

Information from the excavation will be used to inform the public about the archaeology of the area as well as considering how best to manage and protect the site in the future.

The dig is being led by archaeologists from the Landscape Research Centre with help from volunteers and undergraduate archaeology students from York University.

A blog about the dig can be found at boltbyscar.wordpress.com

The excavation is part of the Lime & Ice Project, a partnership of several organisations that received a grant from Heritage Lottery Fund to carry out access, interpretation and conservation initiatives.

Project Officer Jennifer Smith, said: “The current excavation is building on our findings and knowledge from a smaller dig that took place at Boltby Scar in 2009. The open day is a great opportunity for people to find out more about who lived in the area 2,500 years ago and to take a rare glimpse behind the scenes of a working archaeological dig.”

Tours run at various times throughout the two days but people are advised to book in advance to guarantee a place by calling 01439 772738.

A new permanent exhibition, celebrating the history of medicine, is being created in a ward of the former Worcester Royal Infirmary.

Artists impressions of the new museum. Pic Simon Fenn - Museum and Exhibition Design

Extensive collections of medical equipment, documents and uniforms are to go on public display for the first time, in the building where the British Medical Association (BMA) was founded, thanks to a £537,000 grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund.

The grant is 74% of the total project cost for the exhibition to be called Museum@WRI.

The BMA was founded by Sir Charles Hastings in the boardroom of the former hospital in 1832 and the site now forms the University of Worcester’s City Campus.

Catriona Smellie, Curator at the George Marshall Medical Museum based at Worcestershire Royal Hospital, said: “We have hundreds of rare books, going back to the 1600s, collections of medical equipment, and most interesting, in my opinion, are some of the artefacts found during the renovations of the site, such as old postcards and letters belonging to the nurses that lived and worked here.”

The University is working with the George Marshall Medical Museum in the City to develop the new exhibition.

The current George Marshall Medical Museum at the Worcestershire Royal Hospital will remain open, displaying further exhibitions of the City’s medical past.

Further info

Gallery of images inside the former Worcester Royal Infirmary

Roman remains found at infirmary site

The Lune Aqueduct has been awarded  a £1million grant to help restore the 200 year old Grade I listed structure.

The grant by the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) will be match funded by British Waterways, to renovate a remarkable engineering structure which carries the picturesque Lancaster Canal over the River Lune.

British Waterways submitted detailed plans to the HLF in September 2010 following two years of studies and surveys.

Restoration work will also include restoring the historic masonry and brickwork and improving access between the aqueduct and the River Lune.

There are also plans for a lighting scheme.

Funding will also provide for the employment of a full-time project officer on site to oversee the works.

Relining the Lancaster canal

Work is due to commence in January 2011 with construction including relining the canal channel, carrying out leakage repairs and structural embankment works.

The access and improvements works will be completed over the next two years.

Sara Hilton, Head of Heritage Lottery Fund North West, said:
“The Lune Aqueduct is a masterpiece of engineering, and a striking example of the impact the industrial revolution had both on the local landscape and the development of the region. This award from HLF will mean that the historic features of the aqueduct will be conserved, and public access improved so that more people will be able to explore and enjoy this heritage treasure, whilst ensuring it is preserved for future generations.”

British Waterways will be hosting a stoppage open day on 9 February where members of the public are invited to experience a ‘behind the scenes’ tour of repairs to the Lune Aqueduct on the Lancaster Canal. For further information visit www.waterscape.com

Lancaster canal

Around £2m will be spent on the project to restore the viaduct

The UK canal system was key to the industrial revolution, with the Lancaster Canal being the main conduit for the economic development of Cumbria and Lancashire for over 100 years.

The Canal was built during the 1790s with John Rennie being appointed as its Chief Engineer.

Built between 1794-97, and possibly the singular best piece of Rennie’s work, the Lune Aqueduct is the most impressive feature of the whole canal, carrying the canal 15m (50 feet) above the River Lune.